In Love With a Slayer's Son
by mmooch
Summary: Robin shows up in Sunnydale a bit sooner and it changes everything. WARNING: non-canon character death*s*.
1. Prologue: Robin to the Rescue

**In Love With a Slayer's Son**

Summary: Robin shows up in Sunnydale a bit sooner and it changes everything. WARNING: non-canon character death.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy, but also 'cause I wanted to re-write Robin as a more likeable character. He started out fine, but quickly became kind of an ass – in my opinion.

Timeline: AU end of season 6.

A/N: I know it's horrible of me to start another story...especially when classes are starting on Monday, but it's DBJ's fault for poking Musie.

Warning: Sorry Spike fans. He sorta deserved his fate though.

Thanks to my betas: chat a little with JacobPhoenix.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Prologue: Robin to the Rescue**

**Outside 1630 Revello Drive**

The day had finally arrived.

Robin Wood, son of Nikki Wood, was in Sunnydale, home of the most active Hellmouth in the world, preparing to meet the current Slayer. It had taken him awhile to set up his home and meet with the Sunnydale School District Superintendent about the upcoming school year. But now that that was all taken care of, it was time for his main purpose in coming to this town.

As he walked up to the house, Robin rehearsed what he was going to say to Buffy Summers. For so long he thought about meeting a current Slayer and passing along his mother's things to her…and if he was honest with himself, asking if he could fight by her side. He used every personal favor he had to track down where the latest one was stationed.

Luckily, their high school needed a principal for when they reopened in the fall. Given the strange statistics of that town, he guessed the reason they didn't care about his lack of experience was because they were desperate. He just finished his Masters degree so he met the technical requirements; it was the practical ones that he was weak on.

Even though he had the whole summer to prepare, he rushed to Sunnydale as soon as they called him back with the news that they were going to hire him. He wanted to meet Buffy and get that out of the way so he could concentrate on his job. As important as meeting her was, he still cared about doing the best he could for the students of Sunnydale High. After all, that's why he went into education in the first place.

Despite the closed windows, he heard a loud sound coming from the upstairs just as he was about to ring the doorbell. While he was considering what he should do, a woman's cry pieced the air, deciding the matter for him. If he was wrong, he could always apologize later.

Robin raced up the stairs where he heard sounds of a struggle from behind a closed door. Finding it locked, he forced it open with his shoulder and stopped in his tracks. Somehow a vampire had gotten into the Slayer's house, and looked like he was about to rape her – or another young woman who lived there. He could tell it was a vampire because of the fangs and brows.

Whether she was the Slayer or not, Robin reacted instinctively and pulled out a stake from his inside coat pocket, driving it into the vampire's back and straight through its heart.

"Are you okay?" he asked the battered woman sprawled on the floor at his feet. Given the bruises covering her body, he hoped she was the Slayer or else he was already too late to save her from most of the attack. That didn't sound right – even in his head. Any woman covered in bruises was a bad thing to see, but at least with a Slayer it was understandable? Well, he'd just keep his mouth shut and hopefully not make things worse.

Since she was on her stomach, it took a second for her to realize that her attacker was gone. When she did and turned over, Robin was rewarded with a beautiful woman staring up at him, tears threatening to fall from her hazel eyes.

When she didn't say anything right away, he introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Robin Wood. Are you Buffy Summers, the Slayer?" And there went that foot in the mouth disease he was worried about earlier.

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><p>AN: Next…Buffy's reaction.


	2. Chapter 1: Tall, Dark Stranger

**Chapter 1: Tall, Dark Stranger**

A/N: The chapters will be short until I figure out what the hell I want to do with this story.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Sorry Spike fans. He sorta deserved his fate though.

Thanks to my betas: flying solo so far.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers Bathroom<strong>

One minute, Buffy was struggling to convince Spike that she wasn't kidding about not wanting to have sex with him, the next, his weight was gone and she saw dust particles falling to the floor around her. Her first thought was that one of the gang had stopped by and saved her, but that was wrong because she heard a stranger's voice behind her, asking if she was okay.

Ignoring the pain radiating from her body, she turned over to assess whether this guy was a threat – despite rescuing her from Spike. If she hadn't been so traumatized at that point, she might have had a Cordelia moment and murmured, 'Hello, salty goodness!' Since she was still in fight or flight mode, though, all she could do was stare at him.

It didn't make things better when he introduced himself either…not with his asking if she was the Slayer. Fortunately, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he looked like he wanted to smack himself for being so blunt. As odd as it seemed, that was enough to make a smile escape her lips.

"Depends…why are you looking for a Slayer?" she shot back sassily while trying to stand up. He offered her a hand and she took it, both for the needed assistance in standing and also to judge his strength, body temperature, anything that might give her a clue as to whether he was human or not.

Then he did the oddest thing.

As soon as she was upright, he abruptly turned around before he answered the question, "Umm, my mother was a Slayer, and I have something for Buffy Summer – or whoever is the current Slayer. Bernie, her Watcher and my adoptive father, told me where to find her."

His strange behavior made her wonder…until she looked down at herself. Oh crap! Between the bruises and the near nakedness, it was no wonder that he was uncomfortable.

"Uh, just give me a second to get decent, and we'll go downstairs to talk," she replied, not really answering his question yet. She wanted to be armed in case it was a trap. It was doubtful because he probably would have already attacked her if that was his intention, but better safe than sorry.

Too bad she didn't think of the 'better safe than sorry' rule many months ago when dealing with Spike. The first time she found out his chip didn't work with her she should have done something about him. Well, maybe not the _first_ time, but certainly when things disintegrated into sex with violent foreplay. Guess this Robin guy took care of that problem for her. But what would the others say about Spike's demise?

That was a matter for another time, though. Right now she had a strange man in her house that she had to talk to.

She quickly got dressed while she tried to remember what he already said to her. Something about being related to a Watcher or Slayer? Well, if she had it wrong, she had a built-in excuse for why her mind was scattered. _'Yay for attempted rapes,_' she thought wryly, not really feeling the excitement. Somehow she thought she would prefer to appear like a ditz if she were given a choice between the two.

When she went down the stairs, she found him sitting on the couch. On the coffee table was a black bag which must have been his 'cause it didn't look familiar at all.

Buffy suddenly felt the need to not appear weak in front of him again, so she grabbed a sword from behind the coat rack by the front door, and held it where he could see it. "So…not that I'm not grateful for the rescue upstairs and everything, but I'd kinda like to know what you're doing here and what's in the bag," she said with an odd mixture of coldness and gratitude in her voice.

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><p>AN: Next…Probably some talking between Buffy and Robin? Any ideas of what should happen in the story?


	3. Chapter 2: Past Meets Present

**Chapter 2: Past Meets Present**

A/N: The chapters will be short until I figure out what the hell I want to do with this story.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Sorry Spike fans. He sorta deserved his fate though.

Thanks to my betas: flying solo so far.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers living room<strong>

Staring at the sword pointed at him, Robin was almost certain now that he was looking at the Slayer. Her question confused him a little since he already explained who he was and why he was there, but then he remembered Serena.

Serena Jones was a girl who was a senior at his high school when he was a freshman. After she was 'sexually assaulted' – that's what the formal charges called her rape – by a couple local stoners, he and Bernie happened to find her in an alley. Her memory was sketchy for a good number of hours afterwards. The cops had to ask her several times for simple stuff, like her address and phone number.

Because of that event, Bernie insisted that they work at a crisis center for abused teens. So with that and other memories of assault victims in mind, he very gently reintroduced himself, "My name is Robin Wood; Nikki Wood was my mother before a vampire got her in New York when I was a young boy. Her Watcher's name was Bernard Crowley, and after her death, he retired from the Council so he could adopt me. If you want to call your Watcher to confirm my story, that's fine."

"Can't call him," she replied, sounding hurt and angry – which was to be expected under the circumstances. "He's in England, and we don't have the money to pay the long distance. Guess I could call Wes, though," she added thoughtfully.

He sat still while she made her call, all the time wondering why her Watcher was in England. Maybe there was a special shipment of books or weapons that required him to travel with them?

She didn't look happy while she waited for the person on the other end of the phone to pick up, and really didn't _sound_ happy as she spoke to them, "Hey Cordy, I need to talk to Wes. …Well, where is he? …Listen, I don't give a rat's ass what he did to Angel. There's a situation here, and I need a Watcher. Since mine has decided to take after Hank and Angel, I need Wes! Thanks, oh…and tell Angel that I hope he gets his kid back soon. …Of course I heard about it. Demons tend to talk about news like that."

Before Robin could ask any questions – of which he had about a dozen – she immediately began dialing again. Her voice was slightly warmer as she greeted this person, "Wes? Hey, it's Buffy. I was wondering if you knew anything about Bernard Crowley and his Slayer, Nikki Wood," she looked at Robin to make sure she had the names right, and when he nodded, she continued, "…and her son, Robin? I'm guessing she was active about 20 years ago or so in New York."

He watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her face while she listened to whatever information this man gave her. It finally seemed to settle on a sort of resigned frustration. "Crap, I thought it sounded kind of familiar." She paused, appearing to build up her courage to ask him something.

Robin's guess was correct because the next words out of her mouth were, "Do you think you could come to Sunnydale, Wes? I'm not sure how much Giles has told you – if he's told you anything – but I think I could really use a Watcher right about now. I would have asked before this, but I thought you were happy with Angel. Cordy started to tell me, but I told her I didn't care what happened between you two. All that matters to me is whether you're evil or not."

It surprised Robin when she laughed softly at whatever Wes said to her. The way it changed her face was astounding and really made her look beautiful. "I wouldn't say no to a cookie or two," she replied, obviously referencing some private joke between them. "Thanks, Wes, I really appreciate this."

When she hung up, she looked back at him and demanded, "What was Crowley's favorite pet?"

The question was so out of the blue that it took Robin a second to answer, "His favorite pet was Chips, a cocker spaniel he named when he was three."

He must have answered correctly, because she put the sword down and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. Just so you know, the vampire you just staked was the one who killed your mother. He's been sort of an ally since he was chipped by the government a couple years ago, but then he decided we were destined to be together."

Robin was glad he was sitting because he was sure he would have fainted from the news.

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><p>AN: Next…Some more chit-chat, I think. I know it's really evil to make these chapters so short, but it's fun for me. I've got to get my jollies somewhere, right?


	4. Chapter 3: It Sinks In

**Chapter 3: It Sinks In**

A/N: The chapters will be short until I figure out what the hell I want to do with this story. Plus, I'm hoping that if I keep them short, I'll be able to squeak out a chapter in between schoolwork and other real life crap.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Bit of a tissue warning.

Thanks to my betas: flying solo so far. Sorry zigpal, this one had to go unbeta'd. If I have more than 5 minutes before writing and posting, I'll send it to you next time.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers living room<strong>

Buffy felt a little bad for dropping a bombshell on the guy like that, but when Wes confirmed that his mom was the Slayer Spike killed, she sorta thought he'd like to know. Granted, he might not have known how she died, so maybe blurting it out wasn't such a smart idea after all.

Desperate to give him some space to deal with it, she asked, "Umm, I was gonna get myself some water; did you want anything to drink?"

Still dazed, he replied, "Water sounds good." Truthfully, he was thinking something a little stronger, but given how young Slayers tended to be, she might not have liquor in the house. At least not legally. He'd have to find out how old she was some other time.

While she was in the kitchen, the entire situation finally started to sink in. Spike was dead…because of her. Buffy groaned in frustration. Intellectually, she knew she didn't deserve to be raped, but a small part of her kind of thought she would have been able to defuse the situation somehow.

Not that she was blaming Robin for his actions or anything. If she came into the house and saw what he must have seen, it was entirely possible she would have done the exact same thing – even knowing it was Spike…or even if it had been Angel. Wow, how weird was it that she would hesitate more with Spike than with Angel? It wasn't as if she loved Spike more than Angel; hell, she didn't love Spike at all.

But with their twisted…_relationship_ – for lack of a better word – since she was brought back, she knew that he liked it rough. Or at least he did with her; they didn't really ever try 'making love'. Angel, on the other hand, was all about making love, and if she saw him being rough with a female, she knew her mind would automatically think of Angelus.

It wouldn't make a difference to Dawn, though. Especially since Buffy didn't want to admit to either the sexual stuff she did with Spike over the past several months or the attempted rape tonight. Xander would cheer, if only because Spike slept with Anya. Willow and Tara were sort of a big question mark. If she came clean about what almost happened in the bathroom, Buffy was sure they would be okay with Robin staking him. And she might be able to tell them…or at least Tara, seeing as how she already knew about the other stuff.

So lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Robin walk into the kitchen until he called her name.

"Buffy?"

She whipped around with the glasses of water, trying to keep her hands from shaking – and failing miserably. Robin rushed over and took the glasses just as they were about to slip and fall.

It wasn't until he carefully set them down and grabbed a towel to wipe her face that she realized she was crying silently.

His gentleness caused the dam to break. Buffy collapsed to the floor, sobbing hysterically. Part of it was Spike, part was what led her to him in the first place, and part was the fear of losing Dawn because he was gone. There were a lot of parts and she couldn't hold them together anymore.

Robin sat down next to her, but kept enough distance between them so that she wouldn't feel cornered by another male so soon after almost being raped. He'd have to wait to get answers about how his mother's killer ended up working with another Slayer.

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><p>AN: Got it out a few minutes too late, but I'll try harder tomorrow/tonight.


	5. Chapter 4: Mom's Avenged

**Chapter 4: Mom's Avenged**

A/N: Sorry for not posting last night, but I couldn't get onto TtH.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: nothing specific for this chapter.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers kitchen<strong>

When Buffy didn't stop crying after five minutes had passed, Robin started to feel increasingly uncomfortable. At the shelter, women would usually handle the more emotional victims – even on the phone. He had to wonder if she was having this much trouble _because_ she was the Slayer and not just a regular woman.

It certainly drove it home to him that despite her Calling, the Slayer was a fragile human, just like anyone else. Over the years, he had built his mother up so much that she was practically Wonder Woman and Superman rolled into one black, female package. When he thought about her death, sometimes he imagined some of the worst vampires teaming up to take her out, like Lothos and Kakistos and a bunch of minions – none of whom were under 100 years old. Other times, he pictured some nasty, evil magick users who were trying to summon a demon or end the world, and since they were human, his mom would hesitate, giving them the chance to kill her first.

But in his angrier moments, he didn't want to imagine unstoppable forces like those…because that would mean he couldn't go after them by himself. That was when he was hoping it was a regular vampire; something he could take out without an army backing him up. Then he could take his time torturing the monster before finally staking it.

Robin wasn't sure whether he should be angry that he didn't get to make the vampire suffer first, or relieved that he didn't go to that dark place in his soul. From the talks he had with Bernie, he knew that his mom would have liked better it this way. Well, without the attempted rape of another Slayer involved. She would have preferred for him to kill the vampire in order to save someone, not to get vengeance for her.

Still, if Buffy was right about it being the vampire who killed his mom…a part of him didn't care that _it_ was helping a Slayer. He might have tried to kill the thing, even if he hadn't witnessed the scene upstairs. Maybe it was better that he had a good reason. Now he could still try to help Buffy without the vampire's 'death' getting between them…or so he hoped.

When he glanced over at the blonde, he was startled to see her eyes closed and curled up on the floor, sleeping. Some counselor he was; didn't even notice that she'd cried herself to sleep. However, the kitchen floor wasn't the best place for resting, so he nudged her awake enough to help her to the couch in the living room. Thankfully, she only woke up enough not to hit him as he carried her there. He had heard stories from Bernie about startling a sleeping Slayer, and that didn't sound like an experience he wanted to have.

Speaking of Bernie, Robin suddenly felt the need to talk to him. Once Buffy was sleeping again, he moved to the dining room, pulled out his cell phone and dialed his adopted father.

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><p>AN: Next…Some phone talk between father and son.


	6. Chapter 5: Watcher Bernie

**Chapter 5: Watcher Bernie**

A/N: Barely made it before midnight. Only finished it at 10 pm and wanted to give the betas a chance.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: close to unfriendly towards Giles, but he deserves it to for abandoning Buffy.

Thanks to my betas: AshDawnSoulmates and JacobPhoenix.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Photos found by using google and edited with photobucket.

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><p><strong>Summers dining room<strong>

Although he usually thought and referred to Bernie by name, occasionally stress made him slip up…like this time. "Dad? I'm in Sunnydale and just met the Slayer."

Bernie was concerned by the slip, but secretly loved every time Nikki's boy would call him dad. "And? Was it everything you imagined it to be?"

Robin laughed, somewhere between bemusement and hysteria. The way he imagined? Well, he _did_ stake a vampire; that was part of his dream scenario. But the way he hoped for it was to be fighting side by side with the Slayer…or maybe have her witness him saving an innocent from a vampire. Saving her…in her own home…from the vampire who killed his mom?

"Robin? You alright?" Bernie's worried voice shook him out his thoughts.

"Sorry, I'm fine; just comparing my dream encounter to what really happened." Robin quickly continued so that Bernie couldn't ask any questions about the meeting, "Before I get to that, though, I have a serious question to ask you. Have you heard of a Watcher leaving his Slayer before?"

Thinking it over for a second, Bernie replied, "A few times. If he's relieved of his duties by the Council; if he's too sick or injured to remain in harm's way; other more personal reasons. It's usually only temporary, and the Council will send a replacement Watcher right away. Why?" he asked with a hint of suspicion, guessing he wouldn't like the answer he received.

"Because Buffy's Watcher isn't here, and the impression I got was that it wasn't a choice she agreed with…and it sounds permanent." Not wanting to judge the man based solely on Buffy's opinion, Robin asked, "What do you know about him? What was his name again?"

"Rupert Giles. His family is very influential in the Council," Bernie began. His tone made it clear he didn't think much of the younger man, though. When he went on, Robin found out why Bernie didn't like Buffy's Watcher, "Which could explain how he was given a Slayer after his scandalous behavior with magick and demon summoning."

He paused to remember what he could about the troublemaker. "Last I heard, he was working at the British Museum in '97. They probably didn't think Buffy would survive very long, so they gave him the assignment in order to say that he was a Watcher to an active Slayer – even if it was just for a week. That would be enough to satisfy the political parts of the Council. What about the replacement Watcher?" he inquired.

"I don't think she has one…officially," Robin added as a qualifier. What he was about to say would make his mother's Watcher crazy. "She had to call a guy named Wes and ask him to be her Watcher."

As Robin expected, Bernie exploded, "What in the hell is going on there? A Slayer should never be without Council back-up for more than a week! Less, if at all possible! Hold on, I'm thinking she wasn't Council-raised," he commented, trailing off in thought.

"What difference would that make?" Robin demanded, anger tingeing his voice. "And how is that even possible?"

"Every once in a while, a girl slips by our seers – or they choose not to tell us about her," Bernie answered, a bit of humor coming through; apparently he agreed with the idea if the seers actually worked that way. "I think it's because they know that the girl in question would learn valuable skills and attitudes in her pre-slaying life that would serve her well if she was Called. Because those girls are too independent for many of the bureaucrats in the Council, they don't care about extending her life expectancy. Sometimes they even try to shorten it…if they can get away with it."

"No offense, Bernie, but you worked with some real bastards," Robin growled, looking out into the living room at Buffy. How could they treat girl like her that way?

"True, but from their point of view, a Slayer is nothing more than a tool. If they don't like the way it performs, they just get a replacement." Before Robin could question Bernie's loyalties, he added, "As long as there are Watchers with that attitude in charge, I won't regret resigning so I could raise you. If I remember correctly, the Giles family was split on the issue; not sure where Rupert stood on it, though. His actions would seem to indicate he agreed with his father instead of his grandmother."

Robin wasn't sure he should ask Buffy about Rupert – in case it was a wound she didn't want poked at. She already had enough to deal with at the moment. "Can you find out anything more about him or Buffy? Like how long she's been a Slayer? She doesn't look 15…or even 17 to me. She said something about being here for a couple years…I think."

"Of course," Bernie replied immediately, already thinking about which of his old contacts would have the most current information. Then he got to the issue he wanted to deal with, "Robin, what else is going on there? I can tell something is bothering you."

Smiling wryly – he could never fool his dad – Robin stalled for time, "I don't think I can go into it over the phone. Is there any way you could come out here?" he pleaded.

"As soon as I can catch a flight, son," Bernie replied. Although Robin had discussed Slayer business with him, he got the distinct impression that his adopted son needed a _father_ at the moment. "I'm already packed. The joys of being retired," he quipped teasingly.

Surprised at how easy it was, Robin asked, "What about the center?"

Bernie cleared his throat in embarrassment, but admitted, "As soon as you left, I started arranging things so I could leave at a moment's notice. I figured that with you confronting your mother's ghost, so to speak, you'd need me out there sooner or later."

"I'd be insulted by that if I weren't so relieved that you're coming," Robin replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, and I got a little present for you from the secretaries," Bernie said, knowing that Robin would appreciate a little piece of home in Sunnydale. "They took a picture from that blanket drive article and created a poster of us. A copy is in the lobby, but they gave me one to bring to you when I saw you again."

"Can't wait to see it and you, Dad." Robin heard somebody on the front porch so he needed to get off the phone and deal with whoever it was before they disturbed Buffy's sleep. "Let me know when you get the flight info."

Recognizing the tone in his boy's voice, Bernie didn't want to distract him from whatever needed his attention, so he simply answered, "Will do, son. Be careful out there."

http:/i1232. photobucket. com/albums/ff370/mmooch/Slayers%20Son/507627_1280845752847_full. jpg

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><p>AN: Not entirely sure what's next. Musie will have to decide that tomorrow. Can anybody tell who Bernie is? Cookie to whoever gets it first.


	7. Chapter 6: Witchy Girls

**Chapter 6: Witchy Girls**

A/N: Our first taste of some more Sunnydale people.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: more unfriendliness towards Giles, but nothing overly bad…in my opinion.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnsoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers front door<strong>

As he got ready for the visitor(s) coming in, Robin had an unnerving thought. He already killed one vampire with an invitation to the house tonight, what if there were more? Deciding that safety was his primary concern right now, he grabbed his stake again and a bottle of holy water and hid behind the door.

When the door opened, he heard two giggling voices enter…so most likely two females. Before they could react to his presence, he made a noise to get them to turn towards him. After they did, he sprayed them in the face with the water, preparing to stake them if they started smoking. Or at least yell for Buffy.

Turned out he didn't need to yell because the two females yelped instead. It was a good thing for Robin that it happened, though, since the redhead was glaring dangerously at him.

"Willow…remember your promise," the blonde one pleaded. "Let me handle it."

Robin wasn't sure what the blonde was talking about, but his instincts were screaming that he would prefer her handling the situation over the redhead – and it wasn't the bias of redheads and their tempers, just this girl and how scary she looked.

Speaking of which, Willow nodded at the blonde but demanded to know from him, "Who are you? What have you done with Buffy?"

Buffy took the opportunity to have perfect timing as she walked up behind the two girls to answer, "He didn't do anything to me." She stared pointedly at him to ask for his silence, then continued, "His mom was a Slayer awhile back, and he wanted to give me some of her things. Robin, this is Willow and Tara; they live here with me. Guys, this is Robin," she introduced, deliberately leaving off his last name. She wasn't sure if Willow did any research on the Slayers Spike killed, but Buffy didn't want any accidental slip-ups.

Still glaring at the man, Willow asked, "Are you sure, Buffy? People have faked us out before," she reminded her friend, referring to the evil Watcher their senior year in high school.

"Yup," Buffy answered. "Called up Wes and the story checks out. By the way, he's coming here to help out."

Willow turned to look at Buffy in confusion. "Why?"

Resolving to stay strong, Buffy replied curtly, "Because I need a Watcher, and Giles isn't coming back."

"You don't know that for certain," Tara attempted to interject in order to keep emotions down. All of the Scoobies needed Giles the past year and felt his absence keenly.

Buffy pinned Tara with a look which froze the blonde Wicca in place. It had a hint of resentment on the surface, but the emotions underneath were what bothered Tara most. Despair, fear, pain; it was like that night Buffy broke down and cried on her lap…but worse somehow.

"He didn't even come back for Xander and Anya's non-wedding – despite the fact I got a job and was trying to take care of Dawn on my own. He's _not_ coming back," Buffy repeated angrily.

Robin listened to the exchange in horror and building rage. If he understood this correctly, Buffy's Watcher left her because she didn't have a regular job to pay the bills and she needed help raising her daughter. He swallowed the lump in his throat which threatened to choke him.

He would do _whatever_ he had to in order to keep Dawn from growing up without her mother! It didn't matter if Buffy wanted his help with slaying now; she was getting it whether she liked it or not!

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><p>AN: Those last two paragraphs kinda surprised me by showing up. But from his perspective, that could be how it sounded.


	8. Chapter 7: Explaining Spike – BuffyTara

**Chapter 7: Explaining Spike – Tara/Buffy**

A/N: To make up for not posting the last couple days, this one will be extra long…for this story, at least.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: just the general warning of whatever.

Thanks to my betas: sorry, wanted to get this posted to make up for the weekend. Stupid parades that need stupid outfits sewn for them. I love this country, but would have preferred more than a few days' notice that I had to sew costumes.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Summers living roomkitchen**

Guessing that Buffy wouldn't want to open up in front of Willow, Tara turned to her recently reunited girlfriend and suggested, "Hey, Willow? Would you mind talking to Robin about his mother and her Watcher? I'm sure that there's stuff he knows that we haven't heard. There could be something important we could use for slaying. I'd do it, but you know your database better. Buffy and I will go to the kitchen to make a snack; get out of your way."

Willow was a tad suspicious of being 'handed off' to the new guy, but that feeling was overwhelmed by her pride in the database she had worked the past six years on. After the Moloch incident, she stopped scanning books into the computer and typed them in instead, using various programs for languages and pictures. It wasn't complete…yet, but she had over half of Giles' library on disk now.

Her next plan of action was to see about doing the same to the Council library. That would require a team to assist her, though, and she was very particular about who she would trust with that sort of work.

She pulled out her laptop from its case by the desk and plugged it in near the couch. "Sure," Willow replied. "I'll see what info Robin has that we don't already have on the computer."

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><p><strong>Kitchen<strong>

As soon as the door between the kitchen and the dining room closed, Tara grabbed Buffy's hand and asked, "So…you wanna tell me what's wrong?"

Because it was Tara, Buffy ducked her head, then murmured softly, "He tried to rape me."

"Robin?" Tara exclaimed in surprise, looking at the door nervously. She didn't want to leave her girlfriend with a guy who-

Buffy cut off her thoughts with her equally startled reply, "No…Spike! Robin was coming to introduce himself to me and he heard…it happening and broke in. When he saw us, Spike was all vamped out, so Robin staked him." How could Tara think that Buffy would be so calm around Robin if _he_ was the one who tried to rape her – especially just mere minutes after the fact? Now the Slayer just had to worry about Tara's reaction to finding out _Spike_ was gone.

She needn't have been concerned, though. Tara surprised her when she practically spat out one word, "Good!"

"Tara?"

Realizing that it wasn't the response Buffy expected from her, Tara explained in a more Tara-like fashion, "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything Spike did for us last year and all, but what he's done to you since we brought you back… Him trying to rape you was the final straw." Her voice grew arctically cold again as she went on, "If anything, staking was too kind. I would have been a little tempted to ask Anya for a vengeance favor. Rape is a…hot button issue for me."

"Obviously," Buffy replied with a bit of grim humor. "Umm, is that because…"

"No, not me. A friend of mine was in high school, though," Tara assured Buffy. Her eyes grew dim as she recalled Karen and the human monster who destroyed her. "I watched it tear her up until she couldn't take it anymore, and she committed suicide. I have to ask this: you _do_ know that you aren't to blame for this, right?" she demanded fiercely, staring directly into Buffy's eyes.

As much as she wanted to answer 'no', Buffy couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit responsible because of the nature of sex she had with Spike. "Well, I mean, with the way we were-" she began stammering.

"No!" Tara interjected with a growl. "It was risky for you two not to have a safe word, but the blame for this is Spike's!" Thinking about it for a few seconds, she added, "And ours."

"What? How do you figure _that_? Because of the resurrection spell?" Buffy rolled her eyes at the insanity of that idea and inquired facetiously, "So if I break my leg tomorrow, that's your fault, too?"

"Only if I push you down the stairs," Tara teased right back, grateful and worried that Buffy seemed to be returning to her normal habit of joking about matters. It was nice that tonight hadn't finished destroying her, but Tara didn't want the Slayer to brush this off like she did with so many other things.

Trying to think of how to explain her comment, Tara finally said, "We saw that you were struggling with being back, and instead of trying to figure out how to help you, we ignored it, hoping that you'd bounce back eventually. I'm sorry for that. I will be there for you from now on, 'k?" she promised.

Buffy appreciated the offer, and a small part of her, hidden deep down inside her, was relieved that somebody was going to be the strong one for once. Yeah, Riley said he wanted to do it, but he tried when she wasn't ready to be weak. Now she was. "Wanna help me tell Dawn that her favorite vampire is gone? She's gonna hate me when she finds out what happened." She took a deep breath and continued, "And I'm guessing she won't be thrilled to meet Robin when we tell her he's the one who staked Spike."

"We'll have to tweak the story a little – 'cause I'm assuming you don't want to get into the whole sex issue with her?" Tara guessed correctly.

"That'd be a world of no," Buffy confirmed.

Tara nodded her head, thinking of an alternative. Soon she offered, "So we tell her the truth, but leave out the sex and attempted rape. Robin walked in to find Spike attacking you and staked him. You tried to fight him off, but were too surprised that the chip didn't work anymore, and he got a few hard shots in right away." Her face turned grim as she decided whether to offer this piece of advice. In the end, she knew it was necessary. "When she becomes sexually active, you might want to tell her the whole story, though. That way, she knows to be safe."

Shuddering, Buffy replied with a grimace, "Oh my god, I don't even want to think about my baby sister having sex, much less the kind of sex I had with Spike."

Deciding to change the subject, Tara suggested, "Uhh, if you still have any bruises, it might be a good idea to take pictures so we can prove to Dawn that you were injured." She hoped that if it worked for police shows, it would work with Buffy's little sister.

Buffy twisted her body a little to test out her range of motion, and had to fight back a gasp of pain. "Given how sore I feel right now, I'd be willing to bet I have a few," she said through clenched teeth.

Narrowing her eyes at the obvious understatement, Tara ordered the Slayer, "Then we'll take the pictures, you'll take some pain medicine and go straight to bed. Everything else can wait until tomorrow. Got it?"

It was a testament to how wiped Buffy really felt when she didn't even argue at being told what to do. She simply agreed, "Yup. Sleep sounds really good right now…assuming I don't have any nightmares."

"I'll stay in your room just in case," Tara offered, sounding like she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"What about Willow?" Buffy tried to dissuade her anyway. She didn't want to interfere with their reunion night.

Tara waved off the concern, though, "After you go to sleep, I'll tell her that Spike attacked you. She'll understand that I won't want to leave you alone tonight."

"Thanks. You're a good friend, Tara," Buffy said, giving her a gentle hug. The Slayer needed to remind herself that physical touching wasn't a bad thing, and starting with Tara was probably the easiest way to do it.

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><p>AN: Robin and Willow's conversation.


	9. Chapter 8: Explaining Spike – WillowRob

**Chapter 8: Explaining Spike – Willow/Robin**

A/N: Just so people don't think I forgot about this story so I could write my Tara oneshot. It is shorter than yesterday, though.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: nothing specific this time.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates, JacobPhoenix and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Living room<strong>

Before Willow could start her interrogation/debriefing, Robin asked his own questions, "So Buffy was telling me about a vampire who has helped you for the past couple years? How did that happen?"

Startled by the odd choice of topics, Willow stammered a bit at first, "Spike? Oh, umm, he was captured by this government group who put a chip in his brain so he couldn't hurt humans. He came to us for help."

"Why on earth would you help him? Shouldn't Buffy have just staked him?" Robin demanded, outraged they would provide him sanctuary.

"She wanted to…a lot," Willow assure him right away. "Unfortunately, he was the only source of info we had on that group, and there were rumblings that things were kinda hinky with them. Well, he was the only source we knew of at the time. Turns out that Buffy's boyfriend was one of them."

Robin reluctantly could see their point in keeping him around so they could find out about a bigger threat. Still, he had to ask, "So once he served his usefulness, why didn't you get rid of him?"

"Because he found out he could still fight demons," Willow replied distractedly as she searched her files for Nikki Wood or Bernard Crowley.

"What difference does that make?" he asked in confusion.

Willow stopped searching so she could answer the question, "He loved fighting; called it 'dancing'. As long as he could fight, he didn't totally care who it was with. It was a good thing we had him last year 'cause we really needed his help. Angel might have been able to help, but he's still doing his thing in LA."

Starting to wonder about Buffy, Robin had to find out more about this Angel guy. "Is he _another_ vampire with a chip in his brain?" he asked sarcastically, not really expecting it to be remotely true.

"Huh?" Willow looked up again from her screen just as her file on Nikki opened up. She didn't see the name of the vampire they had listed as her killer – which would have explained his interest in the subject. "Oh no, he has a soul. As long as he doesn't have any perfect happiness moments, he's a good guy."

Stunned that Angel actually _was_ a vampire, Robin quirked an eyebrow at her assertion that his soul made him good. "You sure about that? How many humans do evil things with a soul?"

Willow thought about all the human evil in the world, then conceded, "True, but Angel's a good guy. He fights demons and helps people. He's even helped us save the world a couple times."

Robin ran his hands over his eyes and head, hoping to wipe away the confusion a bit. Then he got a smirk on his face when he imagined Bernie's ex-colleagues finding out about Buffy's habits. "Whew…you guys fight with vampires at your side; I can just imagine how the Council would feel about that. Is that the reason Buffy's Watcher went back to England?" he inquired with venom in his voice, refusing to call the man by name.

"No. He had a different reason," Willow answered, not wanting to get into the whole resurrection deal with a guy she didn't know. Then she saw the anger in Robin's eyes and got around to asking her first question, "Why does it sound like you hate him?"

"Hate is a strong word." He silently thought that it wasn't necessarily the _wrong_ word, but for whatever reason, this young woman seemed to be fond of the absentee Watcher. "I hate that he's making Buffy raise her daughter on her own, though. Bernie helped my mom with me, and when she died, he adopted me," he explained.

Willow just looked confused at his statement. "Daughter?"

"Dawn. Buffy said she was taking care of her on her own," Robin reminded the redhead. Surely she knew about Buffy's child!

Fighting her giggles, Willow clarified, "Dawn is Buffy's _sister_, not her daughter." She would love to see the looks on Dawn or Buffy's faces if he mentioned that in front of them, though.

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><p>AN: Not sure what Musie will come up with next. Maybe a talk between Buffy and Wes in the morning?


	10. Chapter 9: Explaining Spike – TaraWillo

**Chapter 9: Explaining Spike – Tara/Willow**

A/N: Decided there was one more Spike chapter that had to be dealt with before they went to bed.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: mentions of sexual assault.

Thanks to my betas: sorry guys, I got this one out so late that I couldn't send it to you. Hope it doesn't have too many mistakes in it.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Living room<strong>

When Tara came back in the living room several minutes later, she was alone.

"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked, searching behind Tara for her best friend. "Still in the kitchen?"

Shaking her head, Tara replied, "I sent her up to bed. She's had a really hard night, and I think she's going to need all the rest she can get. Oh, and I'll have to stay in the room with her tonight," she added without thinking.

"What? Why?" Willow looked like she had been sucker-punched. Her girlfriend was going to sleep with Buffy? "I thought we were-"

Realizing her mistake, Tara interrupted Willow so she could get rid of the stranger, "Robin? Thank you so much for being here for Buffy. While we would have preferred meeting you under better circumstances, I'm glad you were here tonight. Would you mind coming back in the morning?"

Robin understood at least some of the tension in the room. To be honest, he kind of wanted to go home and think about things anyway. Hopefully, he wouldn't drive himself nuts before his dad got there. "It's no problem. If you get a chance, please tell her that Bernie's coming out as soon as he can. I didn't tell him any specifics, but he knows that I need him here."

"He sounds like a very caring man," Tara commented with a soft smile as she walked Robin to the door.

'_More than __**Buffy's**__ Watcher would do, apparently,'_ Robin couldn't help but think snidely, walking out to his car. He was really glad that his mom had Bernie instead of this putz. Even if Dawn wasn't Buffy's daughter, asking her to raise a child on her own was unthinkable.

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><p>After Robin left, Tara guided Willow to the couch and started the talk with an apology, "I didn't mean to cut you off like that, but I thought it would be better for us to discuss this privately."<p>

Still in panic mode, Willow started babbling questions, "Are we breaking up again? Are you leaving me for Buffy? Is that why you're sleeping with her? What-"

Tara quickly put her hand over her girlfriend's mouth when she heard the last full question. "Before you say anything foolish that you'll regret in a couple minutes, I need to tell you something. First of all, unless you're lying to me about the magick, we aren't breaking up again," she promised, asking with her eyes about the magick issue. Seeing the relief in Willow's eyes gave Tara the answer she was hoping for.

"Okay…then what's going on?" Thinking back to what Tara said earlier, a different part of the comment finally sank in and Willow exclaimed, "Oh my god, is Buffy hurt?"

"She is…and in more ways than one. While I was taking pictures of her a little bit ago…" Tara held up her hand to stop Willow's interruption, then decided to re-word that last bit so it didn't sound so…Penthouse-ish, "When I was documenting Buffy's injuries to show Dawn later, Buffy explained what happened earlier."

"While she was on patrol, she was injured enough to slow her down, and she was just getting ready to step into the shower to ease the aches and pains. Suddenly, Spike was there, insisting that she loved him and they belonged together." Tara considered how much to tell Willow, then chose to go with the bare minimum. The rest was really up to Buffy to share if she wanted. "See, she's been turning to him for the past several months because we haven't taken care of her like we should have. Spike thought that meant she loved him – even though she told him many times she didn't. Anyway, he tried to force himself on her…"

There she paused for a moment to catch her breath and to beat back that feeling of helplessness she had when Karen had been raped. When she continued, Tara explained the answer to another question Willow might ask, "I think the reason he could hit her was because the resurrection spell did something to her. It changed her just enough to fool the programming into thinking she wasn't human anymore. Or maybe Spike honestly didn't think she was and the chip followed his brain's lead. I never understood how that thing was supposed to work in the first place," she said with a shake of her head. How the heck was that thing supposed to recognize demons or humans in the first place?

"So he had her pinned while she was on her stomach and was about to-" Willow gasped as she realized what Tara was about to say. Seeing that her girlfriend already understood, Tara skipped to Robin's rescue, not wanting to say the words of what Spike almost did out loud, "All of a sudden, Spike was gone, and Buffy felt dust falling on her. When she turned over, she saw Robin standing there with a stake in his hand."

Willow's face was pale and her voice was shaky as she asked, "So Spike wasn't able to-" Tara shook her head. "I still don't understand why _you_ are staying with Buffy."

"She's most likely going to have nightmares tonight. One of my friends in high school was actually raped, and even though Spike didn't succeed, Buffy's still going to be shaken by the experience. I'm not an expert on the subject, but I think I can help her. Besides, I promised her I'd be with her; I'm not breaking that promise," Tara answered with steel in her voice. She might seem meek a lot of the time, but when she set her mind on something, there was no forcing her.

Realizing how selfish she must have sounded, Willow tried to clarify her question, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean for it to sound like she shouldn't have support, or that I thought it would be a good idea to continue with our earlier plans, I was just curious why you and not me."

Tara's look turned soft again, showing she wasn't angry with Willow. "Have you been around somebody who was sexually assaulted?" she asked. "And if Buffy needs some magical help to get her through the night, I'd much rather do it myself than put you in that position. Personally, I hope she won't need it."

That was a desire that Willow shared with her girlfriend. Somehow she thought it was overly optimistic to expect it, though.

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><p>AN: Not sure, we'll see what Musie comes up with.


	11. Chapter 10: Robin's Thoughts

**Chapter 10: Robin's Thoughts**

A/N: Musie decided she wanted to focus on Robin once he was alone with his thoughts.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Angry Robin alert!

Thanks to my betas: sorry guys, I finished this one so late that I couldn't send it to you if I wanted to post it before midnight. Hope it doesn't have too many mistakes in it.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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><p><strong>Robin's apartment<strong>

Once he changed into his comfy sleepwear and grabbed a beer, Robin sprawled out on the easy chair in his living room. It astonished him how big of a place he could get for a fraction of the cost of his place back in New York. Granted, _all_ real estate in the City was insanely expensive compared to most other cities, but against Sunnydale's prices? He'd have to send photos of his place with the rent written in big numbers at the bottom, just to tweak his old buddies a bit.

His humor faded quickly when he allowed himself to think of Spike again. How the hell did the vampire go from killing Slayers to helping them? Obviously at some point Buffy found out that he had killed Slayer before, but decided it didn't matter to her. A dark part of him thought she deserved to be attacked if she was going to let a monster into her life. And Spike wasn't even the first vampire she befriended – or whatever the term she used for them!

While he still thought it was wrong for her Watcher to leave her alone with her sister, now it was becoming more of leaving a young girl with somebody who had given a killer an invitation to her home. The Watcher should have removed Dawn from Buffy's 'care' if those were the kinds of decisions she was making with her life.

Robin ranted to himself for a good hour, getting up to punch the Tae Kwon Do kickstand in the guest bedroom in the hopes of releasing his anger. All it did was cause the rage to continue to build. It got to the point of him almost calling the cops and having them remove Dawn immediately, citing endangerment.

Before he could pick up the phone, however, a tiny voice in his mind asked, _'Isn't this the same woman you vowed to help…no matter what?'_

The question stopped him in his tracks.

He remembered the broken way she looked as she turned over once her assailant was gone. The way she collapsed in tears in the kitchen. How concerned her friend, Tara, seemed after talking to her for a few minutes.

Taking a deep breath, Robin realized he almost broke the sacred rule of crisis counseling: you _never_ blame the victim! Even if they could have done things to avoid putting themselves in that situation, it was still the attacker's fault and the attacker's fault alone for their actions. That meant, even if Buffy and Spike were – Robin shuddered to think about it – sexually involved with each other, that didn't give Spike the right to force himself on her.

Now that he had cooled down a bit, Robin remembered another lesson Bernie taught him growing up. It was just after he turned thirteen – which in Bernie's eyes meant he could be treated like a man. His mom's Watcher had learned that the supernatural world wasn't as black and white as the Council claimed it to be. That just because something was called a demon, didn't mean it was automatically evil. The flip side was that just because someone was a human, didn't mean they were automatically good. The crime statistics were proof of that.

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><p><em>Flashback…<em>

Bernie had heard of a place where demons and humans mingled, but somebody was stirring up trouble. Naturally, Robin assumed that it was a demon that they were going to deal with. When they got to the building and started searching it, though, Robin saw a human torturing this creature that looked like a cross between a bat and a Shar Pei dog. Apparently the human hit the nerve ending he was probing for because the demon's face broke out into several tentacles.

The man grabbed one of the tentacles and was about to slice it off when Bernie hit him with the butt of his crossbow.

Untying the demon, Bernie asked, "Jacques…you okay?"

"Yes, thanks to you, Watcher Crowley!" the demon replied gratefully. "I should have listened to Adelaide when she said not to trust the humans in this group anymore. But the man said he had something that would assure my spawn grew up strong and healthy."

Since they couldn't report the human to the police, Bernie settled for taking his picture instead. "I'll get copies of this made, and I'd like you to circulate this at all of the neutral spots. Make sure that the non-violent types know to avoid him," he commanded of Jacques.

On their way home, Bernie glanced down at his son and said, "Remember the adage, 'Never judge a book by its cover', boy? It applies to the hidden world too. Make sure that if you're going to kill something, that it's evil. That's why we have to study the different demon species. Jacques' species might look bad – especially when their face does that thing – but they are generally the nicest, most helpful demons that a human can befriend. I just wouldn't bring them around a cat lover."

_End of flashback…_

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><p>Even though he couldn't imagine how it happened, Robin needed to find out the facts of how Spike became part of the Slayer's team before he passed judgment on her. He ignored the part of his brain that said he was only doing this because he was attracted to Buffy. He had never let his emotions color his choices to a dangerous extent before, and he doubted that he was doing that now. If she was a rogue Slayer, he wouldn't hesitate to call the Council down on her.<p>

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><p>AN: Next will probably be the Buffy/Wes talk in the morning.


	12. Chapter 11: No Rest For the Weary

**Chapter 11: No Rest For the Weary**

A/N: Reading the transcript for _'Seeing Red'_ and found out Buffy's confrontation with powered!Warren took place the same night as Spike's attack. That means I have to stick in a little something about that.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: nothing really in this chapter.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

Willow finally looked at her computer screen again and gasped, "Did you know that Spike killed Robin's mother? At least I'm pretty sure he did. Spike told us the names of the two Slayers he killed, and Nikki Wood was one of them."

"Buffy must have forgotten to tell me that," Tara replied, not really surprised given the circumstances. She had a feeling that they were lucky Buffy remembered Robin's name long enough to introduce him.

"Whew, I wonder if Robin knew. That would have to be the shock of a lifetime…avenging your mom's death without knowing it," Willow babbled/gushed. If it had been anyone but Spike, she would have been cheering loud and long for the sweet justice of the moment.

Because it was Spike, though, her feelings were more confused. Okay, so the initial months since he was chipped, he was still pretty evil – what with helping Adam almost break up the group. On the other hand, there was his behavior last year, with Buffy's mom getting sick and dying, and protecting Dawn from Glory, then helping with slaying after Buffy's death…Willow really thought that Spike was becoming a Scooby.

But it was all a lie.

When he found out that he could hurt Buffy, did he stop on his own? Apparently not, if Robin had to stake him in the middle of trying to rape Buffy. It was a harsh reminder that a behavior chip was not the same as a soul. Even more than finding out Spike was dealing in dangerous items for money. Huh, guess maybe that incident should have been a big honking clue that he wasn't truly reformed.

Rather than dwell on the betrayal she felt – she could only imagine how bad it was for Buffy…seeing as how she was the one attacked – Willow pulled out the info they got from the Geek Trio's 'lair'. Maybe catching Warren and his minions would restore her belief in good guys vs. bad guys.

Tara sensed her need to focus on the computer files and started searching the paper documents for any hints to their plans.

* * *

><p>Over an hour passed when Xander stumbled in the front door, calling out for Buffy. Tara quickly shushed him and pulled him into the dining room where she and Willow were researching.<p>

He explained what happened between him and the newly super-villianized Warren at the Bronze. Willow explained what they found about the armored cars, banks, vaults. Then Xander clapped his hands together and said, "So where's the Buffster? Let's get her all geared up to give Warren a beat down."

Willow shared a look with her girlfriend that made Xander wonder, then she asked the blonde, "Umm, do you think we should bother her?"

"We should at least tell her; leave it up to her to decide," Tara replied.

"Uhh, guys- er, girls? Care to share what's up?" Xander interjected, feeling like he had stepped out for popcorn and missed the part of the movie where the big reveal was made.

Willow ignored him, thinking about Buffy's probable reaction if she found out they had this info and didn't tell her about it. "Yeah, and usually after something like this, she likes to pummel somebody or something. Do you mind if _I _go get her?" she requested, needing to feel like Buffy's best friend again – something she hadn't felt like since…well, way too long.

"Go ahead," Tara agreed, nodding her head. "Just remember to be careful waking her up."

As she walked up the stairs, Willow heard Xander complain to Tara, "What's going on? Buff talk to Deadboy or something? She usually likes to beat stuff up after she talks to or hears about him. That or eat a container of ice cream."

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><p>Knocking on the door as she opened it, she called out, "Buffy? You awake?"<p>

The Slayer was curled up on her side, hugging a pillow and Mr. Gordo. When she heard Willow's voice, she turned over and replied, "Yeah…couldn't quite fall asleep yet."

Grateful that Buffy wasn't sleeping, Willow sat down on the bed next to her. "Umm, Tara told me about Spike attacking you earlier and if you'd like to talk about it, I'm here for you," she promised. "Uhh, unfortunately, right now we have a situation that sorta requires you to get your Slayer therapy on."

Despite the fact her aches and pains weren't entirely gone yet, Buffy got out of bed and started changing into patrol clothes. "What's the what?"

"We've found out that Warren's managed to make himself into a 'bizarro Superman'; those are Xander's words. He was unfortunate enough to try and fight Warren," Willow explained.

Buffy thought about the ramifications of that, then shrugged, knowing she still had to try and fight Warren. "As long as he can't fly, I don't mind the other stuff. But if he can fly, I'm complaining to the Slayers' Union about the unfairness of the bad guys getting stuff like that when I have to run on the ground."

She grabbed her jacket and held out a hand to pull Willow off the bed. "Let's go smack down a misogynist pig!" she quipped.

Willow smiled at the rallying cry, and couldn't help but tease her friend, "Wow, Buffy, 'misogynist'? Dawn get you a word-of-the-day calendar?"

Deciding she wasn't grown up enough to care about looking silly, Buffy stuck her tongue out at Willow. "Hey, I learned a few things in psych before we found out Walsh was a nutcase. Just don't tell anyone; I have a reputation to maintain."

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, the armored car confrontation went like it did on the show. No point in re-hashing that here.


	13. Chapter 12: Wesley WyndamPryce, Watcher

**Chapter 12: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Watcher Once Again**

A/N: Thought maybe we should check in on poor Wes over in LA.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: defending Wes' actions concerning Connor a little.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Wes' apartment<strong>

**As the sun was rising…**

Wes' first instinct was to grab his emergency overnight bag and race to Sunnydale when he got the call from Buffy. After all, somebody was requesting his help without reminding him that they didn't trust him – except for solving the problem they couldn't figure out on their own. Okay, so that was a not-so-subtle jab at Angel's team concerning the Sluks.

Not that he wanted Fred to die…certainly not! Giving Gunn the answer to saving her made him feel like he was making up for his mistake – even if _they_ didn't happen to agree. Plus, he couldn't let her die if he knew how to save her.

Her words in the hospital hurt as much as being dismissed from the Council, but in a slightly different way. Being fired had stripped him of his identity, the one that his father had been drilling into him since birth. Fred saying that he wasn't welcome in the group anymore wounded him because of his infatuation with her.

Now Buffy was offering him a chance to redeem himself as a Watcher. Sure it was unofficial, but the past couple years had shown him that the _organization_ he worked for wasn't as important as the _work_ he did.

Wes knew that he failed Faith far worse than Buffy, however, it was Buffy he wanted to think of him with admiration. That probably was because Buffy never tortured him for hours – unless he counted her taste in music during her workouts, which Wes didn't. It wasn't his first choice, but Giles surely had listened to worse things during his rebellious days. Wes thought it was just one of their routines to show their closeness that bothered him so much back then.

With that in mind, he decided that if Buffy was requesting a Watcher, he should bring all of his resources with him. So he took the time to pack up all of his books and weapons, but didn't worry about the personal items as much.

If he allowed himself to think about it, Wes would have been sad that his personal items only took up one small filing box. Good thing he didn't let himself think about it. Instead, he decided to leave the extra clothes, dishes, bedding, etc. for Anne to take to the shelter. In fact…he might consider offering his apartment to Anne in case she wanted or needed a place away from the shelter. He'd get new stuff wherever he ended up – whether in Sunnydale or someplace else.

He knew that despite what Buffy said on the phone, there was a good chance that when she heard the details of his betrayal, she would try something else. Still, now that he wasn't the ponce he had been when he first got to Sunnydale, maybe the 'rogue demon hunting' plan wouldn't be such a bad idea. Of course, he wouldn't call himself that again – what a joke! No wonder he'd had a hard time getting anyone to take him seriously. It would have been different if he'd had the reputation to back up the name at the time.

But he would be honest with Buffy about what happened and take the consequences. Given how sore his throat still was, maybe it would be better to write it out so he could save his voice for her questions – which he was sure she'd have many of. A small part of him realized that she might try to finish the job Angel started in the hospital – despite the 'rule' about Slayers not killing humans.

If she didn't kill him, he might tell her…eventually, that the rule was a load of rubbish the Council came up with to keep the Slayers in line after one girl killed her Watcher when he performed the Cruciamentum on her. If a Slayer went crazy after killing a human, it was either because she thought she should – since that's what she was told would happen – or because she was already headed that way. In other words, it was just a coincidence.

Wes was just glad that Buffy's call gave him the excuse he needed to leave LA. He knew that even though they hated him, Angel and his group would come knocking on his door the next time they needed his knowledge to solve a case.

But next time he wasn't going to be here when they came begging for help.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry if Wes seems angry and bitter, but…well…he is, and with good reason, in my opinion. I re-read the transcript, and while he was kidnaping Connor, I don't think he had any intention of handing him over to Holtz; he was gonna run on his own until he figured out how to stop the prophecy.


	14. Chapter 13: Father and Son Talk  Buffy

**Chapter 13: Father and Son Talk - Buffy**

A/N: Sorry – not really – but there's some poking of fun at Angel here.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: It's mostly just a restating of Buffy's life, but from a different POV, so not all facts we know about will be mentioned.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Robin's apartment<strong>

**Next morning…**

Barely taking the time to greet his dad, Robin blurted out, "Hi, Bernie, I think Buffy might be a rogue Slayer."

"Nice to see you, too, son," Bernie replied with a bemused grin. "My flight was fine, except for the woman sitting next to me that thought I wanted to know all about her oozing bunions," he added sardonically.

Robin looked properly chastised, but hastened to defend himself, "I'm sorry, but I've been up most of the night thinking this over and over again. I finally came to the conclusion that she might be a risk."

Bernie nodded in understanding, then inquired, "I can't say from the papers my friend faxed me that I agree, but what seems to be the issue? The records I have stopped last spring."

The Watcher was startled by the sudden hatred in the boy's eyes. Yes, despite Robin's age, he was still a 'boy' to Bernie; would be even 40 years from now. Whatever he learned was a very sore topic…probably something to do with his mother.

His guess was proven correct when Robin replied venomously, "She allowed my mother's killer to work by her side!"

What Robin wasn't expecting was the confusion on Bernie's face, or his next comments, "I didn't know Angel killed your mother. That doesn't make sense, though. According to Rupert's diaries, Angel had given up killing people after he got his soul back – and the other diaries seem to back up that assertion. He disappeared sometime just before the turn of the 20th century."

"Angel?" Robin interrupted, not wanting the history lesson of another vampire. "No, the vampire's name was Spike."

Bernie did that understanding head nod again, "Ahh, yes, William the Bloody. He was sired by Drusilla, who was sired by Angelus – or as he is known these days, 'Angel, the vampire with a soul'. Sounds rather dramatic, doesn't it? Seems like he should be walking around with a layer of fog constantly at his feet and theme music following him everywhere he goes. He helped Buffy for a couple years before going to Los Angeles. Supposedly, he's trying to be a male, vampiric version of a Slayer."

"How many vampires does she work with?" Robin cried out in frustration. It was one thing to understand that not all demons were evil, but these were _vampires_! Who ever heard of a good vampire – outside of the fictional character of Blade, or cute cartoonish vampires?

Gesturing that they should sit down, Bernie started his explanation, only hitting the bare highlights for now, "Buffy has quite a history with the Order of Aurelius. Beginning with Heinrich Joseph Nest, aka 'The Master' who was prophesied to kill a Slayer – Buffy, in fact – to escape a mystical prison here in Sunnydale. A friend of hers, Xander Harris, gave her CPR because Nest didn't drain her, just weakened her enough so that dropping her in a pool of water would drown her. She got up and killed him back.

"Next came his favored offspring, Darla. She was the one who sired Angelus. She attempted to 'win' Angel back to the Order by attacking Buffy's mother and letting him take the fall for it. When that didn't work, she tried to shoot Buffy, probably hoping that if the Slayer were dead, Angel would have no reason not to be evil. She apparently forgot about the decades where Buffy didn't exist and Angel wasn't behaving like Angelus. That ended with Angel staking her to save Buffy's life.

"Then, of course, I've already told you about Drusilla and Spike's connection to Angel. After Spike betrayed Drusilla during an apocalypse brought on by Angelus – who had been released from the curse which gave him a soul – Drusilla chased Spike away. He came back to Sunnydale a couple times to get revenge, but never managed.

"On his last attempt, a couple years ago by Rupert's records, he was captured by a secret organization called…"

Robin interrupted for the first time, "The Initiative, yeah, Buffy's friend, Willow, told me about it. Put a chip in him so he couldn't hurt humans."

Normally, Bernie would punish Robin for interrupting a lecture; however, it did mean he wouldn't have to go into details about that part of the story. Still, the boy was taught to wait until the end to ask questions or debate topics when it came to slaying-related information. A simple raise of the eyebrow conveyed the message to Robin, who looked down apologetically.

"If I may continue?" Bernie quipped rhetorically, "So I can skip that year and move to the point where Spike developed a _different_ kind of fixation on Buffy. He decided he was in love with her and became obsessed with proving that they belonged together. It did have some good side effects, though. He fought demons, protected her family, and was even going to let himself be killed to keep from revealing a secret that could end the world. Rupert almost sounded proud of him for that last one. That's the last of the diaries my friend could get to me. The more current ones are being analyzed by a committee for some reason," he finished, leaning back on the couch now that he was done.

Grunting in frustration, Robin muttered, "So she hasn't gone rogue." He almost felt disappointed by that. Now he would have to deal with a grey area concerning the monster who took his mother from him. That was never part of his fantasies when he imagined getting revenge for her death.

Before he could sink too far into his thoughts, Bernie surprised him again with a bland statement, "No, that would be the other Slayer, Faith."

* * *

><p>AN: Before you get all angry about me saying Faith is rogue after she turned herself in, remember this is from the standpoint of the Council. A Slayer who isn't slaying demons is not doing her sacred duty, which means she's rogue by their definition. Next chapter will probably a continuation of 'The Soap Opera of Sunnydale' – the extremely edited version.


	15. Chapter 14: Father and Son Talk Slayers

**Chapter 14: Father and Son Talk - Slayers**

A/N: totally screwing with Slayer lore in this chapter.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: not especially nice to Faith, but not bashing.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Robin's apartment<strong>

Bernie's casual comment knocked Robin out of his brooding. "Wait! Who's Faith?" he demanded.

"When Buffy died, a Slayer named Kendra was Called. Then Kendra died a year later, which Called Faith." Bernie could see Robin practically biting through his tongue to avoid interrupting the 'lecture' again, so he uttered the phrase which told the younger man this part wasn't a lecture, "Just talking here."

Breathing a sigh of relief that he wouldn't get chastised again, Robin blurted out, "What about all that Chosen _One_ stuff you told me about?"

Chuckling at the betrayed tone in the boy's voice, Bernie shrugged his shoulders and remarked flippantly, "Well, turns out it isn't as exclusive as we first thought. This isn't even the first time when there were two Slayers."

"What?" was Robin's expected explosion.

"Given how often Slayers have 'near death experiences', I'm a little shocked it doesn't happen _more_ often," Bernie replied thoughtfully. "This is the first time that it's happened since modern communication has been involved though," he explained.

Understanding now that Bernie hadn't knowingly lied to him, Robin was still confused by something. "Then why-?" he started to ask.

Bernie knew what he was going to ask so he cut him off to finish the question, "Does the Council keep saying that crazy line about 'one girl in every generation' bull? Even without having concurrent Slayers that statement is blatantly false. If it weren't, when a Slayer died, the world would be without a new Slayer for several years. Anyway, in answer to your question, they didn't realize it."

That was hard to believe. "These people record _everything_ – including when their Slayers have their cycles – how could they _not_ realize it?" Robin demanded.

"Oh, it was recorded alright," Bernie assured him, "but since there was no way to communicate easily, the Council didn't receive notice of a new Slayer being Called sometimes for weeks or months. And usually by that time one or both of the Slayers involved had already died permanently. When they got the Watchers' Diaries for both girls, they assumed the overlap was due to some misunderstanding. Never had the two Slayers met before. That's the way it kept going until Buffy. When she out-lasted Kendra, a team of WiTs* decided to do some research on the matter. That's when they found proof of two concurrent Slayers before."

A wild thought occurred to Robin as he thought what that could mean for the fight against evil. Then he remembered the organization his adoptive father used to work for and had to inquire, "They didn't want to try creating an army of Slayers by temporarily killing the new girls? Not that I'm suggesting it, mind you, but it sounds ruthless enough for some of them."

Sighing in anger because Robin didn't know how close to the truth he was. "And you're right; there was a debate about doing just that. However, they didn't want to risk the Slayer line by manipulating it." Seeing that Robin was about to ask why – geez, the boy could be just as inquisitive now as he was when he was five, only the questions were harder to answer sometimes – Bernie explained, "The Seers warned them that if anyone deliberately changed the Slayer line before the end of days, there would be grave consequences. Only at the right time could a Slayer army be created."

"That sounds ominous," Robin said, shuddering at the thought of what would need an army of Slayers to fight.

"Indeed," Bernie agreed with a nod of his head. "When pressed, the Seers explained that it wouldn't be the Watchers who Called the army, but someone else. Then there were some descriptive warnings mentioned that made the Watchers back off the idea completely."

Biting back the growl that always came to his voice when talking about his mother's 18th birthday, Robin bit out, "But isn't the Cruciamentum the same as manipulating the line?"

"The Council doesn't see it that way. Besides, you know that getting rid of a 'tradition' is far more difficult than trying something untested," Bernie pointed out, making Robin nod in understanding. He was reminded on the totally off-topic story of a newlywed wife who cooked a roast for her husband.

When her husband saw her cut the end of the roast before putting it in the pan, he asked why she did that. Her response was that her mom did it that way. He wanted to know why, so they called her mom to ask the same question and her response was the same…her mom did it that way. So they called Grandma to ask the question a third time. Her reply had the husband rolling with laughter. _'My pan was too short to fit the whole thing.'_

Sometimes traditions were stupid.

"I'm glad you cheated with Mom," Robin told his mom's Watcher with bright eyes.

It wasn't a topic they discussed often, but Robin knew the story anyway; both what was written in the official Council diaries and Nikki's own words about that blasted test. "I have no idea what you're talking about! It was purely coincidence that I wrote notes to myself explaining the test in detail and that I wasn't to tell Nikki or we'd both be 're-educated' by the Council. How was I to know that she would find them?" Bernie asked with too wide and innocent eyes.

It had Robin laughing, which was the older man's intention all along. "'Cause you did such a fine job of hiding the notes on her pillow," he pointed out with a smirk.

"Yes, well… If we might get back to the matter of Faith?" When Robin nodded, Bernie continued, sharing the information he got from his friend in archives, "She was a bit of a loose cannon even before she arrived in Sunnydale; got her Watcher killed with her recklessness."

"How?"

Bernie took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, then began, "There was a master vampire by the name of Kakistos causing trouble. Faith's Watcher told her to steer clear until she could research his habits, weaknesses, the usual thing we do. Faith decided she knew better and went after him on her own." He paused to choke back his anger at the young girl, remembering that she was just that…a young girl. It was highly doubtful that Faith intended to get her Watcher killed.

Once he was calmed down, he continued, "She fled to Sunnydale for Buffy's help after her Watcher was killed in front of her. When there was an accident and she killed a human, Faith panicked. I doubt she would have described it as such, but that's what she did. And you see, Faith is the second type of Slayer – driven by her instincts, but ignoring her training. For her slaying was a thrill. The Slayer before her – Kendra – was the opposite way. She relied only on what she was trained, ignoring her own thoughts…if she had any. She was the first type; the Council's favorite kind. They view slaying as a sacred duty."

"And Buffy?" Robin asked, wanting to know more about the beautiful blonde that had him tied up in knots. Neither of the types seemed like a good way to be.

Bernie saw something odd in his boy's eyes. This seemed almost personal to him, but he only met Buffy the night before so what could have happened between them – other than Robin staking Spike to rescue her? If he didn't know better, he'd almost think Robin was smitten with the girl. He carefully watched for Robin's reaction as he uttered, "She was like your mother. They are the third type; those who mixed training with instinct and become formidable Slayers – both to demons and to the Council." Sure enough, there was relief and pride in the boy's eyes at hearing Buffy compared to his mother. Interesting…

Robin's grin was less than friendly as he commented, "I see, the Council doesn't like them because they aren't as easily controlled."

"They aren't controllable at all," Bernie answered with a snort. "With them, all a Watcher can hope for is to be her partner, not her master. The real reason the Council doesn't like them, however, is because they have a tendency to change their Watchers. Which is why I believe there is more going on with Rupert than meets the eye."

* * *

><p>AN: *Watchers-in-Training. Next…Father and son discuss Giles and Watchers.


	16. Chapter 15: Father and Son Talk Rupert

**Chapter 15: Father and Son Talk - Rupert**

A/N: It's really short, but it's there.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: none actually…unless you happen to agree with the Cruciamentum and think Travers is an unsung hero.

Thanks to my beta: AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Robin's apartment<strong>

Torn between stewing in anger at a Watcher who would willingly leave his Slayer and satisfying his curiosity as to what could make a man do that, Robin decided that he was more interested in the why of the matter, so he asked, "What do you mean, Bernie?"

Glad to see his son willing to listen – perhaps he would change his mind about the errant Watcher, too – Bernie replied, "Because he _openly_ defied the Council during Buffy's Cruciamentum. Oh, he started the test as expected, but when he was faced with the reality of what he was doing to her, he came clean about it to her, then chased after her to help after the vampire the Council used killed its handlers and kidnapped Buffy's mother."

"Whew, bet neither Buffy nor the Council was happy with him that night," Robin breathed out. "I'm surprised she didn't break all of his bones for that…or did she?" he asked, looking far too hopeful for Bernie's comfort.

"No. The irony is I think Quentin had as much to do with Buffy forgiving Rupert as Rupert's change of heart – perhaps more so. From Rupert's diary, it didn't seem like she was too happy with him until Quentin fired him for caring too much about her. It might have hit her then that Rupert had very few options concerning the test. That and Quentin made himself a far nicer target for her fury," Bernie said with a smirk. Her comments to the Council stooge made his day when he read them.

After shaking himself out of his thoughts, he continued, "And despite the fact that a new Watcher was to be sent to Buffy, Rupert stayed to help. When she told the Council she wasn't going to have anything to do with them, he stayed. He continued to stay right up until last spring. I don't know what happened in the months since that could have made him leave, but the man I read about in the diaries would only have left Buffy if it was necessary to save the world," Bernie concluded, setting aside the entries where Rupert considered leaving when he felt useless. It was clear that Watcher and Slayer were side-by-side at the time of his abrupt departure…or they were in the diaries that just preceded it.

* * *

><p>AN: Next…I think we're done with Bernie and Robin for now. They kept talking, but we don't need to rehash all of BtVS history, do we? Time to check out what's happening at Buffy's house.


	17. Chapter 16: Road to Redemption

**Chapter 16: Road to Redemption**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Defending Wes in this chapter; if you can't forgive him for Connor, you might not want to read it.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

**Early morning…**

Buffy woke to hear knocking on the front door. Her sleep had been troubled, but surprisingly without the kind of nightmares that had her waking up, screaming in terror. A glance over at the comfy chair gave her a hint as to why that might have been. Poor Tara looked not-so-comfy trying to sleep there. Guess the chair wasn't named so well; that or it wasn't meant to be slept in.

The Slayer considered what she should do with her confidante. She could easily carry Tara to the bedroom Willow was in, but should she? Yeah, they were reuniting, but putting them in bed together without their consent felt kinda wrong – even though it was innocent. That just left her own bed. Since she wasn't planning on going back to sleep after she saw who was at the door, that probably was the better option. And there was less chance of waking Tara up if she wasn't carrying through the hall to another room.

The knocking at the door reminded Buffy that she had to get moving before the person left. Fortunately – or maybe unfortunately 'cause it meant Tara was really wiped – the blonde Wicca didn't wake up during the transfer. Buffy quickly checked to make sure she was presentable, then raced down the stairs.

When she opened the door, she didn't see anyone right away. A throat clearing from the side of the porch let her know that her guest was on the swing. Buffy looked over to find Wes getting up, despite the fact he barely had a chance to sit down.

"Hey, Wes," she greeted. "Can I get you some coffee or something to drink?"

She wasn't prepared for the gravelly voice that answered her. When she talked to him the night before, her mind wasn't functioning fully to realize it was the same then. "Some tea would be wonderful if you have it," Wes replied. "It's good to see you again, Buffy. Thank you for the chance to help."

Sensing there was a bunch of stuff hidden behind his words, Buffy wanted to wait until she had some caffeine and food before delving into the heavy stuff. "Let's have some breakfast, then we can get into why I need you here and why you are so willing to leave LA, 'k?"

Not in any rush to talk about the latter, Wes unconsciously touched his throat, which was shielded by a turtleneck to hide the scar. He simply nodded his agreement.

Both actions were caught by Buffy, making her wonder how bad his story would be.

* * *

><p><strong>Half an hour later…<strong>

They took their beverages and some toast to eat out into the backyard so they wouldn't disturb Willow and Tara.

As soon as they sat down at the picnic table, Buffy began the conversation by asking, "So…is there something wrong with your throat? Seems a bit warm out to be wearing a turtleneck."

Wes took a sip of his tea, trying to gather his nerves. This had the potential to be the shortest 'job' he'd had in the past few years. When he told her what he did to Angel, she'd run him out of town – and then maybe go to LA to kick Angel's ass for sleeping with Darla. The latter part of that thought had him smiling behind his cup briefly.

Slowly, with several breaks to take more sips of tea to keep his throat hydrated, he laid out the story of Darla showing up pregnant with Angel's son, the prophecy, Holtz, the portal, Angel trying to kill him in the hospital, Fred telling him not to come back. When he was done, he stared at the bottom of his teacup, waiting for Buffy to pass judgment on him. Or maybe to ask about Angel and Darla; he could never be sure what part of the story she would choose to focus on first.

Her silence as she listened only served to heighten his anxiety. The girl he knew three years ago would never have kept quiet this long – especially where Angel was concerned.

Finally, she let out a breath and started speaking, "So let me get this straight…you found a prophecy that said Angel would hurt his miracle baby, checked it out as many ways as you could think of, meanwhile Angel was becoming more and more erratic, is that about it?" Wes nodded warily.

She nodded in return, then continued, "Then this guy shows up with a serious case of vengeance against Angel for something Angelus did over a century ago – or however long it was," she waved her hand dismissively so Wes wouldn't correct her, "and he says something about not wanting to hurt an innocent child. You know better and figure that you need to get Angel Jr. out of the way, hoping the others will be able to take care of themselves 'cause hey, that's what they do, right?"

Another wary nod, but this time more hopeful because she seemed to be rather understanding of his motivation pretty well so far. But he knew it was getting to the moment of betrayal, and that's were her understanding could vanish.

"Fast forward a bit in time to this Holtz holding Connor and jumping into a portal to the worst hell dimension imaginable," she summarized, skipping a few crucial steps in the story…or so it seemed at first. Buffy stared hard at Wes, making him fidget and unconsciously touch his throat again, which made her guess something he hadn't told her before during his story.

With that understanding, she went forward, pretending to play devil's advocate, "Angel found out that you took Connor and tried to kill you because your betrayal led to Junior ending up in hell." Buffy paused for a moment, and said with tone that sounded like she agreed with her ex, "Because of course, you _willingly_ handed over the baby to Angel's enemy…right? He didn't – for example – try to kill you by…cutting your throat or something? That way he could take Connor from you forcibly."

Wes' eyes widened in shock that she came close to guessing the truth. Stunned, he uttered, "It was Justine, his right hand girl, but yeah…she pretended that he beat her when she started asking questions so she could get close enough to me to slit my throat. How did you know?" he demanded in confusion.

Buffy shrugged, "Kind of a lucky guess. Any time Angel or Connor were mentioned, you'd touch your throat; the turtleneck in May; why you'd be willing to come back to Sunnydale after the horrid way I treated you back in high school. Maybe part of you thinks you deserved it and coming here means you have a chance to make up for what you perceive to be betrayal."

"His son is gone because of me!" Wes practically shouted, wincing in pain when it aggravated his throat. "How is that not a betrayal?" he whispered harshly.

"It was a mistake, Wes," Buffy said compassionately. "A stupid mistake, sure, but a mistake, not a betrayal. Think about your intentions," she demanded when he looked ready to argue again. "When you took Connor from the hotel, you had no intentions of handing him over to anyone else, did you? You were going to run with Connor and protect him until you were sure it was safe to return to LA? And you did this because you wanted to keep Connor safe and to stop Angel from hurting his son – a child that all the stuff we know about vampires says shouldn't exist."

Fighting the emotions that he had kept bottled up for the past several weeks, Wes could only nod his head.

Buffy shocked both of them when she stood up to move to Wes' side of the table and give him a hug. "Then it wasn't a betrayal," she determined confidently. "You were trying to do the right thing, but just went about it in the wrong way. I can't fault you for that." She pulled back a little so she could look him in the eyes, and warned him, "But if you ever find a prophecy that says I'd hurt Dawn, make sure you tell somebody before you run with her. Otherwise, I might react the same way as he did."

"Thank you," Wes murmured gratefully. He had his second chance…or would this be his third? Before he could say anything else, movement from the side of the house caught his eye. A young man about Buffy's age, looking very angry, was storming towards them. Wes stood up, bringing Buffy up with him so she could get into a defensive stance.

Even though Wes didn't know the man, Buffy did, and she muttered softly to herself, "Warren!"

Warren kept coming forward, then he started to scream, "You think you can just do that to me? You think I'd let you get away with that? Think again," he laughed sinisterly as he pulled up his hand to reveal a gun.

* * *

><p>AN: You know I had to leave it there.


	18. Chapter 17: Thoughts in Time

**Chapter 17: Thoughts in Time**

A/N: If this chapter doesn't convince you that I'm evil, I don't know what will.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: uber-suspense alert!

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

**Backyard (Buffy)**

Buffy was so focused on Warren's face that she didn't even see the gun until it was too late. If she survived, she'd really have to remember that sometimes the bad guys cheated and used guns against her.

She was going to at least try to push Wes out of the way, but he was already moving; he must have seen something before her. Gee, that was embarrassing that the Watcher was moving before her. Another thing to talk about with Wes later if she didn't die.

There were probably other things going through her mind, but she couldn't concentrate on them when she felt the bullet punch into her.

So strange that something that weighed less than an ounce – if she remembered Riley's rambling on about weapons with Xander correctly – could hurt so much.

Buffy fell to the ground, hearing Wes call her name in alarm, but she just closed her eyes to fight the pain.

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

**Buffy's room (Tara)**

Tara had let Buffy think she stayed asleep when the Slayer moved her to the bed; partially because she was tired and didn't want to open her eyes, and partially because she didn't want Buffy to feel to guilty about needing her presence in the room during the night. The only magick Tara had done during the night was soundproofing the room so that Willow wouldn't be disturbed if Buffy cried out.

She heard voices downstairs, but could tell that one of them was a guy, so that meant Willow wasn't up yet.

As she lay there, curled up with the pillows, Tara reconsidered her decision to get back together with Willow for what felt like the hundredth time. She couldn't honestly say that she trusted the redhead not to use magick on her if they had a fight again, and if she couldn't trust Willow, could they really get back to where they were before? Was love enough?

Not that it was a good thing that Buffy was almost raped last night, but again, if she were honest with herself, Tara was relieved that she didn't have to decide whether to make love with Willow. Actually, without trust, it wouldn't be making love, but having sex. Tara didn't want to settle for sex, and she hoped that Willow wouldn't either.

The question that plagued her was whether Willow would understand that they had to slow down until Tara felt she could trust her again. Unfortunately, the impression she gave Willow the previous night would indicate that she was ready for that step – and she really wasn't. Oh, her body was…very much so, but her heart was still trying to heal from Willow's- well, as harsh as it sounded, betrayal would be the right term for it.

Hearing the kitchen door open and close, Tara got up and looked out the window to see Buffy having breakfast with a man she didn't recognize. The Slayer seemed to be listening to the man without interruption or emotion, so either she was quietly fuming or she was reserving judgment…or she just didn't care one way or the other about what he was saying to her.

Tara went to clean up and get changed, then looked back out the window several minutes later. Buffy had moved so she could embrace the man. Huh, guess she _did_ care. Taking a sip of water from her cup, the blonde Wicca turned around to go downstairs. Maybe everyone would like some pancakes for breakfast today.

She only took a couple steps away from the window before she was startled by the sound of yelling, quickly followed by gunshots coming from outside. _What just happened?_

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

**Willow's room (Willow)**

Willow sat in her bed for several minutes after she woke up, looking around her room. If she didn't try to wake up more, she could almost imagine Tara's things mixed up in her own. She sighed happily; even without sleeping together last night, she was thrilled that Tara stayed at the house.

A nasty part of her brain – the part that craved power, first from hacking, then from magick – snarled a question, _'Why is it that __**Tara**__ is allowed to use magick to help Buffy get through the night and not me?'_ The larger part of her brain, heart and conscience told the power-hungry part to shut up. She just got Tara back and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize their relationship again if she could help it.

She practically bounced to the bathroom to get dressed and cleaned up. Things were going perfectly between her and Tara. The redheaded Wicca finally got to the point where she knew – way deep down – that what she did to her girlfriend was horrible. It was…it was like the love spell that Xander made Amy do back in high school, only worse. They both stole free will from the victims of the spells. Remembering how violated she felt after the love spell wore off, Willow couldn't believe that she would do anything similar to somebody she loved.

Thank the goddess that Tara was so sweet and forgiving! Willow expected to have to do a heck of a lot more groveling to get back into her sweetie's good graces.

Suddenly she frowned. Had it been _too_ easy? Life on the Hellmouth taught her how to be a cynic. From Pollyanna to…somebody really cynical, that was Willow now. When you were happy, something had to come along and ruin it. Buffy lost Angel and Riley; Xander lost Cordy and Anya; she lost Oz…was she going to lose Tara? There almost seemed to be a trend going with the Scoobies' love lives. And not a very good one.

Rinsing the toothpaste out of her mouth, Willow had the urgent need to see Tara…like immediately. Faster than immediately. She quickly spit and wiped her mouth.

No sooner had she stepped into the hallway than she heard three sounds that made her want to throw up: gunshots, glass breaking and Tara crying out.

She ran to Buffy's room, threw open the door and almost fainted when she saw Tara on the floor. "Tara!" Willow cried out, unable to move from the doorway.

* * *

><p>AN: We should probably go check on Dawn or Angel, right? Or maybe see what Giles is up to.


	19. Chapter 18: The Difference a Watcher Mak

**Chapter 18: The Difference a Watcher Makes**

A/N: I couldn't be cruel and drag this out any longer. Well, I could, but then it would just be mean for mean's sake.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Character death.

Thanks to my betas: none tonight because I didn't think the readers would want to wait for them. Hope there aren't (m)any glaring errors.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Summers home<strong>

**Backyard (Wes)**

Wes' eyes took in the human threat immediately, even as his mind raced with various lines of thought.

The first one was that the lunatic sounded like a scorned lover. He heard Buffy growl the name 'Warren' under her breath, but if they had ever been lovers, the breakup had to be the worst she ever had – and when the list included sending Angel to hell, Wes didn't want to consider anything worse. Plus…he just couldn't see Buffy falling for a guy like that. Granted, after being dead and resurrected, her mind might not have been all there for a while, but still…

He grimaced; maybe he shouldn't be casting stones about sexual liaisons. Lately, he had been growing increasingly attracted to Lilah of all people. It was a good thing he left LA when he did, otherwise he might have grown desperate enough to act on that attraction – despite the fact she was evil.

From the corner of his eye, Wes saw that Buffy was only focused on Warren's face, not the rest of his body. Something he'd have to work on with her later. He knew that if Warren had been a demon, Buffy would have scanned his whole body for weapons, weaknesses, the whole nine yards. Just because her opponent was human, didn't mean they couldn't be a threat. Wolfram & Hart taught that lesson in spades.

Fortunately, his thinking processes were as fast as Willow's babble on coffee, so he was able to have all these thoughts in less time than it took for Warren to say his little rant.

In addition, the on-the-job training he got with Angel the past couple years increased his reflexes to almost supernatural proportions, so he was able to pull his gun before Warren could get his weapon fully raised.

Two shots rang out back-to-back in the morning air.

The bullet that hit the leader of the Trio directly between the eyes caused his trigger finger to twitch, making the second bullet speed towards its target.

Satisfied that the young man was no longer a threat, Wes turned to see Buffy on her knees, clutching her stomach. When she didn't respond after he called her name, the Watcher – both in name and in action now – instinctively put the safety back on his gun, holstered it and pulled out his cell phone…all in one motion.

As he was calling the ambulance, he started first aid on the wound. Laying Buffy down on the grass, Wes was relieved to see the bullet, despite still being inside her – didn't appear to have struck an artery or vein directly. That meant he had a chance of keeping her alive long enough for the paramedics to get there.

Maybe he should have been concerned that she wasn't panicking even a little, but the fact she was staying calm made his job that much easier.

* * *

><p><strong>Buffy's bedroom (Willow and Tara)<strong>

Tara heard Willow cry out as the door burst open and looked over at the doorway. The redhead appeared to have wilted against the doorframe in relief.

She left the broken glass that she had been kneeling to pick up and went to check on her girlfriend. "Are you okay, Willow?" Tara inquired softly. She wasn't prepared for the death grip that engulfed her when her words snapped Willow out of her shock.

"As long as you're alive, I'm the happiest girl in the world!" Willow exclaimed, kissing the blonde until they almost fainted from oxygen deprivation. They kept holding and caressing each other until the sounds of a siren broke them out of their little world.

"Oh no…Buffy!" Tara exclaimed. "She was outside with some guy I didn't recognize. I was going downstairs to start breakfast when I heard shouting, and then the gunshots made me drop my glass, and then you came in and…"

If she hadn't been so worried about her best friend, Willow would have teased Tara for her impressive babble.

When they moved to the window, the reunited not-yet-lovers-again were horrified to see Buffy lying on the grass while the EMTs worked on them. The desire to get to her side won out over the macabre fascination that wanted to hold them in place, watching the personal equivalent of a fatal car accident. They prayed to any higher power listening that this wouldn't be fatal too.

* * *

><p>AN: Am I forgiven now?


	20. Chapter 19: In the Waiting Room

**Chapter 19: In the Waiting Room**

A/N: it's short, but thought I should get it out there.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Hospital waiting room<strong>

Tara and Willow sat, holding each other as they tried to ignore Wes' agitated pacing. Once or twice they heard him mutter something about not failing her again, but it didn't make sense to them. After all, he shot Warren, stopping the madman from killing Buffy outright. If it had been anyone else in the backyard with her, she would be dead already.

However, any attempts to talk to him were entirely ignored.

Just then they heard some nurses passing by, talking to each other.

"It's so tragic. She seems so young to have died."

"Unfortunately, it's not so strange in this town."

"I know, but this time it wasn't anything bizarre. This was something you'd expect to see in a normal city."

"At least the bastard who did this to her died too."

Wes stopped in his tracks, looking defeated while Willow and Tara almost broke down in tears. They all breathed a sigh of relief with the next words though.

"Yeah, they aren't sure if it was the accident that killed him or his blood alcohol content. The autopsy will tell them for sure."

With that, the nurses walked out of hearing range, not knowing how close they had come to breaking several hearts.

* * *

><p>A couple hours passed before Dawn came rushing in. As soon as she saw Willow, she veered from the nurses' station and headed right over for answers.<p>

"Dawnie, where-" Willow started to ask.

Only to be cut off by the teenager, "Xander's parking the car; how's Buffy? What happened?"

Willow and Tara broke apart so they could pull Dawn down to sit between them. "She's still in surgery," Willow explained. "They'll let us know as soon as they can."

"So what the hell happened?" Dawn demanded impatiently.

"Language, Dawnie," Tara reprimanded softly.

A new voice joined the conversation, "Hey, I'm with Dawn on this one. What happened?" Xander asked.

"Warren came looking for payback for last night – and probably every other time Buffy thwarted his plans. He didn't count on Wyatt Earp there packing heat," Willow said, sounding very un-Willow-like with her choice of words. "Buffy would probably be dead if it weren't for Wes killing Warren."

Dawn interrupted Wes' frantic pacing to hug him, surprising him enough to stop his inner rant. "Thank you, Wes. I don't know why you're here, but I'm so happy you are," she said, looking up at him with large, wet doe-like eyes.

"As am I," he returned gruffly. Two hugs in one day from the Summers sisters went a long way to healing his battered heart, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment that he gave his – at least _temporarily_ his – Slayer a fighting chance to survive. Although he couldn't understand how Warren had been able to pull the trigger even once, at least he wasn't able to pull it twice.

Before anyone else could say something, the doctor came out, looking tired, but happy. Always a good sign.

"Buffy Summers' family?" he checked before giving them the news. When they nodded eagerly, he said, "She's doing remarkably well. The bullet missed any major organs and the surgery went picture perfect. We've moved her to recovery, but she should be in a room within about half an hour. You can go in to see her, as long as you let her rest."

After he walked away, Dawn realized somebody was missing. Well, two, actually, but only one she was concerned with at the moment. "Where's Spike? We should let him know about Buffy. He'd want to be here."

You could hear the proverbial pin drop in the waiting room – if it hadn't been for all the hospital sounds filtering in from the hallway and beyond, that is.

* * *

><p>AN: Did I have anyone going with the nurses' conversation? Musie had toyed with the idea of killing Buffy off and bringing somebody else (not Faith) in to fall in love with Robin, but I thought for this story, I'd better stick with the original plan.


	21. Chapter 20: Tara's Big Mouth

**Chapter 20: Tara's Big Mouth**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: Tara's a bit OOC, but I thought this was the best way to handle the reveal. And this isn't Spike-friendly, but c'mon…this is the morning after he tried to rape Buffy.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Hospital waiting room<strong>

The females – sans Dawn – looked very uncomfortable at the mention of Spike, while the males just looked confused by the females' reactions.

Tara tried to ease into the explanation gently, "Spike can't come, Dawn, because he's gone."

"No," Dawn denied, shaking her head vehemently. "He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye." He couldn't have left her, he just couldn't have!

Willow bit her lip nervously, really wishing they could have this conversation someplace else, but knowing Dawn wouldn't let it go until she knew what happened – as much as they were willing to tell her anyway. "He didn't leave, Dawn. His chip stopped working, and he was attacking Buffy and-"

Dawn just kept shaking her head, refusing to accept where Willow was headed with this. Spike couldn't have done that; not without Buffy pushing him into it. If he attacked her, then he was a monster and-and…no! _'It had to be Buffy's fault!'_ Dawn thought desperately. Aloud she yelled almost the same thing, "Then Buffy made him do it! She got angry he had sex with Anya – which he only did because she broke his heart – and I bet he went over to the house to try and apologize, but she probably was being a bitch to him until he snapped and-"

She didn't get any farther in her rant because Tara reached the end of her patience. "He tried to rape her!" she snarled, shutting Dawn up instantly. On the other side of the room, Xander dropped into a chair with a soft thud. Wes quickly followed suit.

"I'm sure he was upset when she broke off their…sexual encounters, but she wouldn't have had to turn to him in the first place if any of us had been there for her instead! We all had _great_ reasons for not helping her," she bit out sarcastically, "but the point was she felt alone, and Spike took advantage of that. He told her over and over that she belonged in the dark with him because we brought her back wrong!"

When she paused to take a breath, Tara saw all the stunned faces surrounding her. "Oh shit!" she muttered, burying her face in her hands. Buffy was going to kill her for betraying her confidence like that – and to _Dawn_ of all people!

The motherly Wicca straightened her back with resolve. Maybe this was for the best, though. Buffy was vulnerable to Spike's manipulations because she hid things from everyone, like how off-balance she felt after she returned. Assuming everyone loved Buffy as much as they should, the blonde Slayer would have the support she needed to get through this – even if she fought them.

Meanwhile, Dawn broke down sobbing. Spike tried to take her sister away from her. He wasn't the man she thought he was. Oh…that's right; he wasn't a man at all, just a demon wearing a man's face. Couldn't they count on _any_ man to live up to their expectations? Their dad disappeared off the face of the earth. Giles left – even after finding out where Buffy had been.

She glanced over at Xander out of the corner of her eye. At least he was still there. Sure, he left Anya at the altar, but he didn't leave Sunnydale to get away from her. All he needed was time to figure out if it was right to get married. They- well, at least _he_ was only 21; in this day and age, that's pretty young to be making such a huge commitment.

And Wes was here. _Why_ was Wes here again? No matter…those two were proof that not all men were complete scum.

* * *

><p>AN: I hope everyone appreciates how difficult it was for me to write a defense of Xander at the end of the chapter. Consider it proof that I need some sleep desperately.


	22. Chapter 21: What Gibbs Would Do

**Chapter 21: What Gibbs Would Do**

A/N: I'm back on this story. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of updating it on a semi-regular basis again. All those mini-fics might have destroyed Musie's concentration for anything over 500 words. Chapter title comes from something shown on NCIS all the time (I don't own that show). You'll see it in the first paragraph.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: more see-sawing Robin, but he will calm down eventually…I think.

Thanks to my beta: AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Hospital hallway near the waiting room<strong>

As soon as he heard Tara blurt out that Buffy and Spike had a sexual relationship, Robin stopped dead in his tracks, turned around and stormed back out the front door without looking back. A few minutes later, Bernie joined him. First thing he did was smack Robin in the back of the head.

"What was that for?" his adoptive son complained.

Bernie just glared at the boy and growled, "For being more hormonal than a pregnant teen. And seeing as how I was there when Nikki was carrying you, I know how bad they can get. I thought you were going to wait until you heard the whole story before making any judgments on Buffy's involvement with your mother's killer."

Times like this, Robin regretting shaving his head 'cause right now, he really felt like tearing his hair out. He settled for sighing heavily and sitting on the bench to talk out his frustrations. "I don't know what it is about her, Bernie. I barely know the woman, but she's got me so mixed up that I don't know if I'm coming or going. When we heard that a couple people had been shot in her backyard…my heart almost stopped, I was so afraid it was her. But hearing that she willingly slept with that monster…" he trailed off after spitting out the first part of the sentence.

"Boy, you really should have stuck around a few more seconds to hear the rest," Bernie chided. "Sounds like we're coming in during the third act – with no idea of what happened in the first two. Something in particular is making me wonder if it's a play we're watching or a movie."

The words were enough to confuse the hell out of Robin – which put him in the same position as Bernie. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not sure, son," Bernie admitted. "But there is a whole lot going on that we don't know about. First things first, though…you need to have your head on straight. I think I know what's messing you up."

"Yeah? Care to tell _me_?" Robin half-snarked/half-pleaded.

"She's a Slayer. Because of that, you put her in the same category as your mother – which automatically puts her on such a pedestal that no mere human could live up to. And that's all these girls are, Robin: human," Bernie reminded him.

Sighing sadly, Bernie went on, "We've watched firefighters, cops, soldiers and god knows how many other professional people who put their lives on the line for their fellow man. Those same people who protect and serve humanity can make the worst choices in their private lives. And they _chose_ to serve; Slayers don't get that luxury. Not really. Even if they don't want to be a Slayer, demons and vampires will search them out wherever they are. It's fight or die once they're Called. And the Potentials who are found and trained without being Called don't even get satisfaction of knowing it meant something."

Bernie laid his hand on Robin's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "And your mother wasn't the saint you make her out to be in your memories. She made her share of bad choices as well. You're living proof of that. But she never _truly_ regretted it – apart from knowing you would probably have to grow up without her if she was Called after you were born. All I'm saying is that you should find out _why_ Buffy turned to Spike before you write her off. And get your hormones under control for all our sakes," he teasingly added.

Robin blushed, but nodded that he would try. "It's just…she gets to me, Dad. And yeah, part of it is probably that she's the Slayer – who wouldn't be attracted to a hero? But…I don't know…despite our first meeting, I can't help but think she's a strong person. Plus the fact that she's trying to raise her little sister while keeping the world safe; at least you were there to help Mom with me. I'll admit, her looks don't hurt either. Those eyes of hers…if I were poetic, I could write a book of poems about those eyes," he admitted, blushing even more.

Deciding he had enough embarrassment, he got up and they made their way to the waiting room to meet Buffy's friends and family.

* * *

><p>AN: Next…Old Watcher meets new.


	23. Chapter 22: New Meets Old

**Chapter 22: New Meets Old**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: none this time…in my opinion.

Thanks to my beta: AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Hospital waiting room<strong>

Walking into the waiting room, Robin headed towards the two females he met the night before, hoping they would handle the introductions. Sure enough, Willow's eyes grew wide when she saw him and she leapt out of her chair. "Robin!" she exclaimed before switching into babble mode, "Everyone, this is Robin Wood; his mom was a Slayer, and he was the one who saved Buffy last night, but don't you dare hold it against him, Dawnie, because Spike was the one who made all the bad stuff happen, and I don't know if Robin even knew at the time that Spike was the one to kill his mother, or if he even knew until just now and-"

Her babble was cut off by Tara's hand a few seconds too late. "Sorry about that," Tara apologized, looking at Robin and the man with him. "We had hoped to ease into the issue of your mother and Spike, not just blurt it out. Guess today's the day for blurting things, though."

Robin smiled slightly, not pleased with everything he had heard, but finding himself amused at Buffy's friends' behavior despite that fact. Life certainly wouldn't be dull around them. "Buffy told me last night," he explained. "Thought I deserved to know that my mother's killer was gone."

Feeling Bernie's eyes boring into the back of his head, Robin cleared his throat and started the introductions, "This was her Watcher and is my adoptive father, Bernie Crowley. Bernie, these are Buffy's friends and family. Willow, Tara…" he pointed to each woman, then trailed off when he realized he couldn't introduce the rest of the group.

Xander stood up and finished for him, "I'm Xander. The girl scowling at Robin is Buffy's sister, Dawn, and the other guy is one of Buffy's ex-Watchers, Wesley."

"Did you _have_ to kill him?" Dawn demanded.

Surprised at the venom in her voice on behalf of a vampire, Robin answered honestly, setting aside his anger at the monster who took his mother from him, "It was instinct. I saw a vampire trying to- attacking somebody, and I did what I was trained to do since I was your age." Even though Tara had let the 'attempted rape' cat out of the bag, he didn't think it was appropriate to keep bringing it up – especially without talking to Buffy first. It was doubtful she wanted her little sister to be told that over and over again.

"I can't say I understand how my mother's killer got to be friends with another Slayer, and I hope that somebody can explain that to me at some point, but obviously he meant a lot to you, so I'm sorry for your loss," Robin choked out, hating that he had to say the words, but knowing he had to be the adult in this situation. "I can't apologize for what I did, though. The scene I walked in on didn't leave me any choice…not if I wanted to be able to live with myself. I would have done something different had he been human, but I could see he wasn't. In my book, a vampire attacking a woman – especially an injured one – doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt."

Dawn desperately tried to cling to her anger at the man. She knew things weren't so black and white. If Angel had been attacking somebody who looked human, that didn't mean he was a bad guy. _'He tried to rape her!'_ Tara's voice echoed in her brain, reminding her that Spike's 'attack' wasn't just hitting Buffy; he had been about to- She herself might have tried to stake him if she saw him doing _that_.

As much as she loved Spike, she didn't think she could forgive him for hurting Buffy that way. And if this incident made her sister withdraw even more from life, Dawn might want to bring him back so she could stake him all over again.

Sensing the need to change the subject, Bernie spoke up, "How is Buffy doing? We heard the police talking about a shoot-out in her backyard."

Wes nodded gratefully to the man for defusing the situation. "She was hit in the stomach, but the doctors seem confident that she'll recover. The man that shot her is dead; my aim was better than his," he finished coldly.

* * *

><p><strong>At the vending machines…<strong>

The two Watchers thought some food and drinks would be a welcome distraction to the others until they could visit Buffy, so they walked to the machines together. It would also give them a chance to compare notes.

"I've heard a lot about you," Wes began in a conversational tone.

Bernie snorted, "Yeah, I can just imagine. None of it good, right?"

Shaking his head, Wes replied, "Quite the contrary. We were taught that you were one of the best Watchers of your generation."

"'Were'?"

"Then you made the mistake of becoming too attached to your Slayer and her son," Wes finished his earlier comment. "There were many of our instructors who believed you should never have allowed her to keep her child once he was born."

"And what's _your_ opinion of me?" Bernie asked, wondering if there was going to be a problem with the younger man. If Buffy trusted him, it would make getting her to trust him and Robin that much harder.

Wes shrugged, "It depends on whether you're asking me as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, appointed Watcher to Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane or Wes, requested Watcher of Buffy. The first one – a pompous git who thought he knew everything when he arrived in Sunnydale a few years ago – would be appalled by your lack of judgment and that you gave up a sacred duty for the bastard child of your dead Slayer."

"And the second one?" Bernie growled, angered at the man calling Robin a bastard, even if it was technically accurate. Nikki never married Robin's father.

"The second one – who was tested on the front lines, made many mistakes, but hopefully came out a wiser and more useful man – would be proud to call you a friend. I learned too late that the Council's ideas of how a Watcher should behave don't always work too well in the real world…and certainly not with Slayers like Buffy and Faith. While I can't understand why Giles left, I'm grateful for the opportunity to make amends with Buffy. I doubt I'll be able to do the same with Faith – even if she wanted it. Too much has happened between us now," Wes finished desolately.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think she might have gone off the rails even with the best Watcher on her side," Bernie replied. Funny thing was, he wasn't just trying to make the man feel better about himself. The girl really did seem like she was on the cusp before she even got to Sunnydale.

* * *

><p>AN: Next…Not sure what Musie will think of next. Maybe some visits in Buffy's hospital room?


	24. Chapter 23: A Slayer's Anger

**Chapter 23: A Slayer's Anger**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: none except for a touch of real life grossness maybe.

Thanks to my betas: none, didn't want to wait…sorry.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Buffy's room<strong>

As soon as Buffy was out of recovery and back in a regular room, Dawn insisted on being the first one to visit her. Since she was the only family member, the others couldn't argue – even if they thought the emotional teen might not be in the best frame of mind currently. She might say something she'd end up regretting.

That concern was temporarily unfounded, simply because Buffy wasn't waking up just yet. Her friends all took their turns sitting with her for 5-10 minutes each before letting the next person in. The pain meds Buffy was on kept her under for over an hour.

It was during Wes' second visit that her eyes began to flutter. Immediately, he rang for the nurse and stuck his head out the door to yell, "Dawn! I think she's about to wake up!"

Everyone crowded into the room, but kept away from the bed so the doctor and nurses could check on their friend's condition. It was odd to see the look of confusion and beginning stages of fear on her face as she began to realize just where she was.

"She's afraid of hospitals," Dawn called out to the medical personnel.

Hearing her sister's voice helped calm Buffy down a bit; something which the doctor noticed. He waved Dawn over in the hopes that seeing the younger girl would help even more.

Dawn put her hand on Buffy's foot and squeezed it tightly as if to give her sister a hug by proxy. "You gotta stop scaring me like this, Buffy. I don't want to be the only kid in high school who needs to use Clairol's Loving Care to cover grey hair," she half-teased.

"I'll be sure to avoid the backyard from now on in case some nut job with a gun decides to try and kill me," Buffy shot back hoarsely. "How's Wes?"

"He's fine and standing behind me," Dawn answered. "He killed Warren."

Still ignoring the people fussing over her, Buffy mused, "Can't say I'm sorry about that. He was probably as evil as a human being could get…or he was well on his way to becoming that bad."

The doctor cut in, "Well, it appears that you are doing fine, and can remember how you got here. Just for procedure, though, can you state your name and date of birth?" When Buffy did that, he nodded and said, "You should be fine, but we need to keep you in the hospital for a few days until we're sure of that."

Dawn looked like she was about to remind him of her earlier statement, and the look on Buffy's face indicated she had a few words to say as well, so he quickly continued, "If you are doing well this evening, we can have you moved to the maternity ward. There's only one patient there right now, and it doesn't have the same 'hospital feel' as the surgical unit."

"As long as the Buffster doesn't have to leave with a baby," Xander quipped from the sidelines.

"I think we'll be able to avoid that kind of mix-up," the doctor responded with a kind smile at his patient. Seeing the tiredness on his patient's face, he shooed everyone out, suggesting that maybe they should take the opportunity to go home, get cleaned up and eat something before returning. Reluctantly, they all heeded his advice, but only went four at a time.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple hours later…<strong>

When she woke up again, Buffy found a freshly-showered Dawn sitting at her bedside reading a teen magazine. Buffy softly snickered as she listened to the brunette bicker with the article she was reading; something about if Clark should be with Chloe or Lana. The names sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place them right away.

Apparently her snicker was loud enough to catch Dawn's attention, though.

"Buffy! You're awake again. I didn't wake you, did I?" Dawn babbled quickly, looking worried.

The elder sister smiled wanly and shook her head, "Nope. Actually, I think it was my bladder. Umm, could you get a nurse in here so…"

Dawn reached for the call button and pushed it. Seconds later, a nurse strode into the room, looking ever so professional. "Yes?"

Buffy explained her predicament so the nurse helped her stand and slowly walk to the bathroom. When she came back out, the nurse suggested that as long as she was up, Buffy should attempt walking for a little bit. Not too far, but just enough to make sure that she was recovering properly. Not wanting to stay in the hospital-y part of the hospital any longer than she had to, the blonde Slayer quickly agreed.

Five minutes later, the nurse brought Buffy and Dawn back to the room and helped her patient get back in bed. She checked the dressings and left the sisters alone with their friends.

"Why didn't you tell me about Spike?" Dawn asked once the door closed.

Glaring at Tara, who was leaning against the far wall and looking very guilty, Buffy snapped, "Because I didn't think you should know."

Wes stepped forward before anything worse could be said and interjected, "I'd like to speak to my Slayer, if you don't mind." To his benefit, he didn't sound like the pompous git from their high school years…more like Giles when he had something for Buffy's ears only.

* * *

><p>AN: Next…Wes turns the tables on Buffy.


	25. Chapter 24: Good Advice Returned

**Chapter 24: Good Advice Returned**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: none this time – unless you're a die-hard Spike fan who thinks he was the victim in all this…in which case, why are you still reading this story? Oh, and at least one bad word.

Thanks to my betas: none.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Buffy's hospital room<strong>

"Why'd you do that?" Buffy snapped when the door closed.

"Because I didn't want you to say anything you'd regret later," Wes replied calmly. "The way she did it was regretful, but Tara did the right thing in telling us about what Spike did last night and what led up to it."

Tara told them everything? Buffy started to get up so she could give her friend a piece of her mind. "How-"

Wes simply put a restraining hand on her shoulder, hoping she would listen to reason. "Before you get all worked up, let me explain," he requested.

If it weren't for the pain in her stomach, she might not have been so willing, but Buffy leaned back and said with an irritated pout, "Fine!"

Grateful for the chance, Wes decided that a little turnabout was fair play in this case. He smirked as he began, "I seem to recall a wiser-than-I-thought-she-was Slayer telling me just this morning that important concerns should be shared to avoid misunderstandings."

Buffy growled at the smirk on his face, "But that was-"

"…And if you want to fault Tara for anything, it should be that she didn't speak up as soon as she knew," Wes cut her off before she could make excuses. "She explained everything to me in private while we waited for you to wake up. As a friend, it was wrong to let you remain in a place where you…I'm not sure what you were doing with Spike, maybe punishing yourself for some strange reason?" he hypothesized. "As a Watcher, if I had known about this back then, I would point out that it wasn't just about you."

Seeing the confused and angry look on her face, Wes explained, "By letting a vampire who had the ability to hurt you get that close, you put everyone in grave danger. He could have killed or even turned you while you were distracted by the sex with him. A soul isn't a guarantee of being good, but it's a far better leash for a vampire than a chip in the brain. I would wager there were times when Spike seriously considered turning you into a vampire so you could be together 'forever'. When he got over the novelty of screwing a Slayer, he probably would have," he pointed out bluntly.

His last comment hit Buffy almost as hard as the bullet from earlier. When had she forgotten that Spike was that much of a danger? Yeah, he kind of reminded her with the egg incident, but even then…she still saw him mostly as a tame animal instead of a wild one.

Her only excuse – if she even had one – was that her mind was pretty fucked up when she came back and didn't the chance to really deal with it. She literally went from her grave to slaying to being Dawn's guardian again, all in the same night. While her body healed from her wounds that night, her mental wounds were just pushed back until a 'later' that never came.

Remembering one of those exposé shows on doctors, Buffy realized she was the equivalent of a surgeon operating while plastered. Sure, she _might_ be able to do her job, but letting Spike control her like that for months proved she was putting innocents in harm's way until she got better.

She wasn't going to put the blame on Tara for that, though. She had enough to deal with back then with the magick thing and Willow. Quite honestly, the only person she really felt should have done something was Giles. Dawn was too young, and the others had their own issues/problems. Giles just left; supposedly so she could stand on her own two feet. Buffy still didn't agree with that line of crapola.

Looking up, she asked Wes, "Could you send Tara in so I can talk to her? I promise to remain calm."

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later…<strong>

Tara nervously entered the room, fully expecting to get yelled at.

"Don't worry," Buffy said, "…Wes talked me down from my moment of righteous anger. Then he reminded me that if anyone should be yelled at, it was me. I put myself into a position where a vampire could turn me. I was no better than Riley going to that suckhouse. Sorry for putting you in a position I shouldn't have. You were well within your rights to tell somebody about what happened with me and Spike, if only to keep them aware of the danger."

"I'm still sorry for blurting it out like that – especially since Spike's gone now and the danger he posed with him," Tara responded.

Buffy shrugged. "What's done is done." She grinned impishly at the other blonde. "Bet it caused quite a stir, huh? How did Xander manage to pull his jaw up from the ground?"

Giggling in relief, Tara answered, "Not sure. I was too busy being horrified that I betrayed your trust. I just wanted Dawn to understand that it wasn't your fault that Spike was gone. He was a monster and needed to be destroyed."

* * *

><p>AN: Next…Oi, not sure. We've had a rough…omg, it's only been a little over 24 hours since the story began? Would anyone mind if I gave the gang a couple days to relax before the next surprise?


	26. Chapter 25: Jealousy

**Chapter 25: Jealousy**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: couple mild swear words.

Thanks to my betas: none.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>HospitalSummers home**

While she was recovering from her gunshot wound, Buffy filled in some of the blank spots that Bernie had from reading the summaries of her first years in Sunnydale. The former Watcher could tell that the summaries were written by two different men because apart from a couple weeks at the beginning, Giles' reports showed a growing concern for his Slayer while Wes' were cold and detached. It was easy to see why the Council was worried about Giles' attachment to Buffy. It also made it confusing as hell why he'd leave all of a sudden.

They could tell she was leaving a lot out of the story when she explained how she and her friends stopped Glory the previous spring. The fact that she died to close the portal told Bernie why Giles' reports stopped coming. It had taken him several months before he could send in that last report on Nikki's death – and he hadn't had to witness it firsthand. The poor man must have been devastated!

Hormonal Robin reared his head again when Buffy told them about the resurrection spell her friends had cast. "What the hell were they thinking?! If the portal to Glory's world could tear apart all of reality, they should have left well enough alone!"

"Hell was exactly what they were thinking about," Buffy cut in quickly. "And the fact that I could be suffering there every minute they left me there. Was it the smartest thing to do? Probably not, but I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if it was one of them or Dawnie that went through the portal."

Again Bernie was struck with the feeling that she wasn't telling them everything. But seeing as how she and her friends were the only ones who could give them the answers, he tried to decide how important it was to know the whole story. Maybe someday – when they knew they could trust him and Robin – they'd tell them everything. Until then, he'd have to remind his adopted son that trust had to be earned and maintained before they were given an insider's pass to the Slayer's life.

* * *

><p><strong>The Magic Box<strong>

**The next day…**

Robin watched Buffy train with Wes and felt a little betrayed. He saved her from being raped, but she was confiding in Wes about the events around her death and resurrection. Given a couple of the outbursts the reinstated Watcher made, he obviously got more details, too.

As soon as that betrayed feeling rose up, it was smacked in the head by logic. One, she knew this Wes guy longer; two, he saved her life; three, he was her Watcher. If she couldn't confide in her Watcher, they had no business working together. Still didn't help his feelings of jealousy when he saw the easy way _Wes_ had with putting his hands all over Buffy's body as they trained!

* * *

><p><strong>Inside the training room<strong>

If he had been able to actually hear what was going on between the Slayer and Watcher, Robin would have felt a little better. What looked like comfortable camaraderie to him was more like exes going on a second 'first' date.

With both of them recovering from their respective wounds, their training couldn't get very physical without endangering their recovery. That left doing forms from different martial arts disciplines. Occasionally, Wes would have to put his hand on Buffy's leg or back or other body part to make an adjustment.

And while he got more details about the fight and her resurrection, Buffy still withheld one or two parts – like Giles killing Ben to stop Glory…and having to dig her way out of her grave. She didn't see that those things would be relevant and would only serve to get her friends into trouble. If she knew the extent of Wes' personality changes, she'd know that Giles' ruthlessness wouldn't bother him in the slightest, but he would take issue with the grave thing.

"So what else is going on in Sunnydale these days?" Wes inquired as he watched her go through another kata.

"Strangely enough, our 'big bad' for the year was Warren. Well, him and his geek minions," Buffy corrected herself. "Most of the crap we had to put up with – other than our own stuff – was because of them."

"This reminds me, young lady, that I have a bone to pick with you!" Wes scolded in his best mock-officious tone. The question that followed was quite serious though. "Why didn't you properly assess the danger that Warren presented? You kept your gaze on his face instead of watching his body language."

Buffy sighed and stopped her kata to face him. "I know, I know. Even with all the stuff he pulled I just kept thinking 'he's only human' and that meant he couldn't harm me as bad as a demon could. And I keep forgetting about guns being used as weapons – despite this being the third time I was shot at…or was it the fourth? Darla, Taka police lady, actual police guy and Warren. Yeah, fourth," she finished counting them off, much to the bemusement of her Watcher.

He patted the couch next to him and handed her a towel and bottle of water. "Most Slayers before you didn't last long enough to learn that humanity is as much of a threat to humanity as demons are. I'm not talking about wars or crimes either. I don't want you feeling like you have to become a caped crusader or something equally foolish. There are humans who use magick or other means to help demons try to end/control the world. There's an inter-dimensional law firm with a branch in LA doing just that. And they hate Angel immensely."

"The three animal place, right?" Buffy asked in her usual quirky way of butchering names.

"Wolfram & Hart, yes," Wes confirmed. "He introduced himself by shoving one of their biggest clients – a vampire – through their necro-tempered windows during the day."

"Not sure what necro-tempered is, but I'm guessing not a good thing for the good guys. Kinda would have like to watch that meeting. Sounds like fun," she replied wistfully. "I miss the good old days where things were only slightly grey. Demons were to be slayed – except for Angel; humans were to be saved. I suppose it only gets more complicated the older we get?"

"I believe it beats the alternative, however," Wes managed to quip back, bringing a small smile to her face. Not the reminder of heaven, but the fact that he felt comfortable enough to relax and say something like that to her.

* * *

><p>Outside the room, Robin was feeling more and more jealous as the pair sat next to each other and starting talking. Worse was when Wes reached in his bag to pull out a cookie and hand it to Buffy. The bright smile and hug she gave him was like a punch to his gut.<p>

He could almost hear Bernie berating him for being worse than a teenager. If he wanted a chance with Buffy, he'd have to tell her he wanted one.

"Ask the girl out before you drive us all crazy," Bernie hissed in his ear.

Oh, it wasn't Robin's imagination after all! Well, that made him feel a little foolish. He turned to his mentor/father and nodded. "Okay, I'll ask her out for dinner tonight," he promised.

* * *

><p>AN: Next…Give me some suggestions for a date that you'd like to see. I'd prefer something that doesn't get interrupted by a band of demons, though. Let her have a normal date, okay?


	27. Chapter 26: A Normal Date?

**Chapter 26: A Normal Date?**

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: cheesy pun at the end.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

><p><strong>Magic Box<strong>

As soon as Buffy's training session was over and Wes left the back room, Robin let himself in so he could ask her out on a date. While he worked up his nerve, he started with an easier question, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot," she quipped with a smile. "Actually, it's not so bad now. Thank goodness for Slayer healing!" She caught a glimpse of the determined look in his eye and asked, "What's up?"

He cleared his throat, then dove in. "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight…maybe catch a movie afterwards?"

If he hadn't been nervous, he would have thought her scrunched up nose was adorable. Okay, so even though he was nervous, it still was adorable. "What…you mean like a date or something?"

"Not 'like a date', an actual date," Robin corrected, not wanted there to be any misunderstandings. He was rewarded with the sight of her blushing. At least he assumed it was a blush because her face wasn't red before he said that.

Then she bit her lower lip and ducked her head as she thought for a couple more seconds. "Sure, that sounds nice," Buffy finally answered when she lifted her head again. "I haven't been on a date in forever and you're a nice guy who's good looking and I have to remember that not all males are like…him."

It might not have been the gushing acceptance that Robin had hoped for, but it also wasn't a refusal. And to be fair, after what she went through in the last week, he wouldn't have blamed her if she had refused. He'd have to remind himself not to push her too hard while not treating her like she was made of glass either. It was a fine line he had to walk, but something told him she was worth the effort.

"I'll pick you up about seven, then?" he asked. When she nodded, he left to go make plans for their evening. As he passed Bernie in the store, the older man just smirked at the grin on his adoptive son's face.

* * *

><p><strong>That evening…<strong>

"So where are we going?" Buffy asked for the third time.

Robin rolled his eyes at her before turning his attention back on the road. "I told you, it's a surprise."

"How much longer is it?" she asked again, this time there was a definite gleam in her eyes that told him she was playing with him.

He just chuckled and said, "As long as it takes."

"You know I have a curfew, right?" she tried to say with a straight face, almost succeeding.

"Your friends told me you like seafood. They weren't kidding, were they?" Robin asked, hoping that they hadn't played a trick on him.

"Nope, seafood is of the good," she confirmed. "So where are we going?"

A few minutes later, they pulled up to the most unusual building Buffy had ever seen. It was round and looked like…well, she wasn't sure which planet, but she could swear it was a planet.

"Reservation for Wood," Robin informed the maître d' when they walked inside.

The man looked at the couple, then asked, "Would you like a heated booth or non-heated?"

Since it was already a slightly warm seventy-five in the room, Robin quickly replied, "Non-heated." To Buffy, he murmured, "What an odd choice."

She looked distracted, though.

It obviously was a themed restaurant based on a description of Venus – or as close to Venus as one could get on Earth without killing its patrons. It was some of the staff and a majority of the patrons that had Buffy on edge, however. She turned to glare at Robin. "Did you pick this place on purpose?"

"What do you mean?" he replied innocently before understanding set in, "Oh, you don't like the theme? I know it's out there – no pun intended – but this is really supposed to have great seafood."

Her glare just intensified. "Are you kidding?" She lowered her voice and hissed at him, "You mean you honestly don't know this is a demon restaurant?"

His look of shock was genuine. "Oh shit!" Robin immediately started looking around for danger. Yeah, it should have occurred to him earlier, but he had seen a similar place in New York and that one had been run by humans…right? Now he wasn't so sure about that.

"Buffy!" a voice interrupted their conversation. Thankfully, it was a friendly voice.

"Clem?" Buffy answered. "What's going on here?" she demanded of the new 'person'. Robin's mind immediately flashed to the first time he met a neutral demon when he saw Clem. He looked a lot like Jacques, in fact.

"This isn't a place that you have to worry yourself about, Buffy," Clem hurriedly assured her, glancing around at the other patrons nervously. He pulled her aside to explain, "There's a place in LA that serves both humans and demons, but requires peaceful interaction, so they have a spell that doesn't allow violence in the building. A few of us liked the idea so much that we wanted to do the same thing here. With the alien theme, we can even mingle with humans without them freaking out."

She took one look at his wrinkled face and saw the pleading red-tinged puppy stare he was giving her. "You promise me that nothing evil is going on here?" she asked.

"Aside from the normal restaurant pricing?" Clem tried to joke. He held up one of his hands/claws/whatever and vowed, "May I never eat another kitten if I'm lying."

"Okay," Buffy said, visibly relaxing her body for everyone to see. She wasn't under any delusion that the non-humans in the room hadn't heard at least some of their conversation. Most likely they also had a clue about who/what she was. The relieved faces on those patrons proved she was right.

"And hey, if you like the place, maybe I can ask for the official Slayer endorsement?" Clem asked hopefully. "The neutrals would like to know that they wouldn't get slayed coming here and the evils might think twice about attacking us for mingling with the humans if they thought it would anger you."

"I'll think about it," Buffy replied noncommittally. _'So much for a normal date,'_ she thought. _'Oh well, it's probably as normal as I can hope for.'_

Once they got over the fact the people in costumes were really demons – at least most of them were – Robin and Buffy actually started to enjoy their date. The food was incredible and when the entertainment began, Buffy leaned over to whisper to Robin between giggles, "Here I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with a band of demons on our date tonight."

He shook his head at the awful pun she made about the musical group onstage. Band of demons!

A/N: Thanks to djhardim for the idea of a demon band.

Found the restaurant idea when I looked up unusual-themed restaurants. I changed it a little for the story. This is what the article had to say:

**Life on Mars**

Restaurant: Mars 2112, Times Square, New York City

Culinary Concept: Earthling eats. NASA predicted by 2112 we'd be making commercial flights to Mars. Why wait for the airfare wars when you can pay a visit right in New York's Times Square? Upon arrival, friendly Martians guide hungry earthlings into the hot, dry, red planet, where they can dine on the Martian Seafood Platter — exotic ocean shellfish, squid, shrimp, mussels with a spicy seafood sauce.

Next…A nice shock for everyone.


End file.
